Enzo Maresca is seemingly unsatisfied with what he’s seen of Jadon Sancho. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Chelsea have reportedly made a decision over whether or not they’ll retain Jadon Sancho beyond his season-long loan spell.
For a long time, it was just an expectation that the Manchester United loanee would make the switch to Stamford Bridge permanently upon the culmination of 2024/2025.
However, reports in recent weeks have begun suggesting the player’s stagnant form has prompted Chelsea to re-consider their £25 million obligation clause – which could see United miss out on a much-needed cash injection to kick off their transfer window.
In order to bypass the agreement, the Blues would need to pay a penalty fee of £5m, after which Sancho would return to Manchester. From there, you can only imagine INEOS will again be searching for suitors for the lacklustre £73m acquisition, whose career has only derailed since his Borussia Dortmund exit in 2021.
Chelsea to opt against Sancho deal in major financial blow for United
The Sun is now claiming that Chelsea’s key decision-makers ‘are ready to pay United £5m to back out of their agreement’, and realistically, is it any wonder why?
Sancho has not registered a single Premier League goal contribution since assisting in the side’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on January 4 – 11 matches ago. For United fans, such empty performances are all too familiar, hence why none were fazed when the 25-year-old was initially offloaded to a rival just one month into the season.
Dortmund undoubtedly poses as a tempting route for Sancho to again be surrounded by familiar surroundings in a division where he has displayed his most prolific attacking form, although he’d have to agree to a substantial cut on his £250,000-a-week wages to be officially registered on the German outfit’s books.
He is contracted to United until 2026, with the club holding the option of extending it by an additional season.
