Has Jadon Sancho excelled at Borussia Dortmund? Man Utd loanee’s future assessed

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Key man vs Madrid? 

Jadon Sancho is back in his hometown of London as Borussia Dortmund prepare for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday night. The 24-year-old grew up just twelve miles away from Wembley and he will be aiming to showcase his unquestionable ability in the most prestigious game in club football.

After being ostracised at Manchester United by Erik ten Hag after a public disagreement, Sancho returned to his adopted home of Dortmund in January. The mercurial winger made his name at the German giants during a scintillating four-year spell between 2017 and 2021 when he earned the reputation as one of the best wingers in the world. Sancho’s creative brilliance at Dortmund earned him a €85 million move to Old Trafford but he endured a miserable two-and-a-half years. In stark contrast to his excellence in the Bundesliga, Sancho only provided 18 goal contributions in 82 games with his market value falling by an incredible €75m during his time in the Premier League. Sancho returned to Dortmund in January with the hope of recapturing his best form and happiness, but how successful has the loan been?

How has Jadon Sancho performed at Borussia Dortmund? 

“He’s enjoying being with his team-mates on and off the pitch and Jadon is a player that needs to smile – if he’s smiling then he’s going to shine on the pitch”. Dortmund manager Edin Terzic’s assertion on Sancho in March was accurate and the winger was clearly enjoying himself in his standout display against PSG in May. Sancho highlighted his ability to perform at the highest level as he completed 12 take-ons, which was the most since Lionel Messi (18) against Manchester United in 2008. Furthermore, Sancho’s seven take-ons in the opening half hour equalled his record total during his time at United. Sancho outshined Kylian Mbappé as he produced a world class performance as Dortmund beat the French champions at the Westfalenstadion and the Englishman was beaming as he celebrated with the travelling black and yellow army as the German side booked their place in the Champions League final in the return leg in Paris.

Sancho required time to reach peak fitness levels at Dortmund as he hadn’t played in five months upon his return and he’d been training with the youth teams at United. While Sancho has failed to replicate his incredible attacking number from his first spell at Dortmund, there were promising signs with three goals and three assists across 1429 minutes – Sancho’s market value also increased by €5m in the latest Bundesliga update.

“Sancho’s start at Dortmund was promising with two assists in the first two games, but after that his performances tailed off,” said Benedikt Duda, German editor at Transfermarkt. “You could see that he had not been on the pitch for a long time and muscular problems did the rest. But week after week, Sancho fought his way out of this hole, partly because coach Edin Terzic gave him chance after chance. He got better and better and found his form again. Even if he hasn’t been able to match his outstanding performances of his Dortmund past, he showed flashes of his genius often enough. He has rediscovered the fun of football and shown a lot of joy from day one.”

As the graphic above illustrates, Sancho recorded phenomenal attacking numbers during his first spell at Dortmund. During his last season in Germany before joining Man United, Sancho scored eight goals and provided 12 assists in 26 Bundesliga games. For comparison, Sancho’s most prolific season in the German top-flight arrived in 2019/20 when he registered 17 goals and 17 assists in 32 appearances. 

Jadon Sancho’s Manchester United future – could he join Borussia Dortmund permanently?

It’s highly unlikely that Sancho has a future at United, especially if Ten Hag remains as manager. That would require Sancho to apologise and he’s been unwilling to do so. INEOS are overhauling United’s sporting department after Sir Jim Radcliffe’s 25% acquisition of the club and Sancho could be moved on permanently to raise funds. Ten Hag, however, is under serious pressure to keep his job and Sancho could reignite his career at United – if the Dutchman is sacked, which has been widely reported. Sancho’s astronomical wages will prove problematic for most clubs and Dortmund were unable to insert a buy-option in his loan deal. 

On Sancho’s future, Duda added: “It depends on many factors, an important one will be: Will Erik ten Hag remain coach of Manchester United? If this is the case, Sancho is unlikely to want to return. A change of coach, on the other hand, could open a new door for him. Despite the success in the Champions League, a permanent return is financially hardly feasible for Dortmund, unless the Red Devils were to make concessions to Dortmund in terms of the transfer fee. Sancho would also have to accept a significant drop in salary. Dortmund have hopes that Sancho could stay for another year on loan, possibly including an option to buy.”