Any Manchester United supporter watching Chelsea lose 2-1 to Liverpool would have felt as though they were witnessing Groundhog Day after Jadon Sancho gave a completely forgettable first-half display at Anfield.

In the waning hours of the summer transfer window, the 24-year-old moved from Old Trafford to Stamford Bridge, with United agreeing to send the troublesome winger to Chelsea on a season-long loan.

 

Sancho’s three-year ordeal came to an end after his £73 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. During this period, the winger made 83 appearances for United and only managed 12 goals and 6 assists; this is a far cry from his attacking output in Germany, where he was one of the most sought-after players in the world of football.

Sancho was kicked out of the United first team following a public spat with Erik ten Hag over the Dutchman’s justification for benching the 24-year-old for a trip to play Arsenal in September of last year.

In January, a difficult agreement was eventually achieved, and Sancho returned to Dortmund for a six-month loan. While United considered his long-term future, it gave him the opportunity to reestablish his name in the setting where he had previously flourished, and it was largely successful.

At Signal Iduna Park, Sancho was warmly received. His efforts propelled Dortmund to an unexpected Champions League final matchup with Real Madrid; nonetheless, they would ultimately lose to Los Blancos at Wembley. Dortmund, however, was not prepared to accept the reportedly £40 million price that Old Trafford officials had set in order to make the transfer permanent.

Instead, Sancho was reintegrated into the first team after returning to Manchester and the team helping to arrange “peace talks” between him and Ten Hag. He was 24 years old.

But this was never really a reconciliation. Instead, it appeared to be a calculated action by United to preserve the winger’s declining market value while actively attempting to reach an agreement on a long-term departure. However, when the transfer window was about to expire, no acceptable offer came up.

This resulted in a hastily arranged loan transfer to Chelsea in the closing hours of August 30, complete with a permanent sale clause.

Sancho signed a one-year loan with the Blues, with an option to buy for a price that may range from £20 to £25 million, contingent on Chelsea’s final league position. The condition would not apply if the London club placed lower than 14th in the Premier League; if they placed better, a transfer would be required the following summer, with the fee determined by their ranking.

This arrangement amounted to a permanent deal, given a club the size of Chelsea would be plunged into existential crisis should they finish the season in 15th place.

Sancho’s first performances for his new squad also hinted that Chelsea might have made a smart trade. However, as United supporters have been all too familiar with, the 24-year-old’s optimism has rapidly faded, and his “performance” at Anfield completely dispelled this notion.

When playing Liverpool, Sancho was positioned on the left wing for Enzo Maresca’s team. He was completely inconspicuous for 45 minutes, managing just one goal, one assist, zero shots, zero crucial passes, zero tackles, zero interceptions, zero dribbles, zero successful duels, and seven ball losses (Sofa Score).After halftime, Maresca thought he had no choice but to hook Sancho, substituting Pedro Neto, who had a significantly better second half as his colleague on the left wing.

The Italian manager answered, “Tactical,” when questioned about the choice to replace Sancho.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, the right-back for Liverpool, is a fantastic offensive player, but because he frequently breaks free from the defense to attack, opposing wingers should never be afraid to score a goal against him.

But Sancho was utterly unable to do so, providing a timely reminder of the lackluster performances that marred his tenure at Old Trafford. In contrast, Neto was a dynamic player whose direct and forceful style posed significantly more of a threat.

Although Sancho might be able to recover the form that made him so dominant at Dortmund, it seems improbable that he will be able to do so in English football. A player who needs time and space to flourish will not be able to keep up with the speed and intensity of the Premier League.

Sancho is not the first, nor will he be the last, Bundesliga product to fail to convert his skills abroad. It will be intriguing to watch how the 24-year-old reacts to the new manager’s decision to bench him in an effort to boost the group’s output.

History informs us that the story does not end happily.