German giants Borussia Dortmund are trying to plot a ‘secret Sancho plan’ as the player does not envision a future for himself at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, according to German publication BILD.
The report adds that the 23-year-old blames the Dutch coach for his downwards career trajectory since leaving Dortmund for the first time. Having joined the German club on loan, it’s fair to say that Sancho has struggled a fair bit.
It took Sancho until the weekend to score his first goal upon his return to the club where he exploded onto the scene. The die Schwarzgelben fans would be hoping that the goal against Werder Bremen would be the first of many that the English international would score during his time here.
The 23-year-old had 50 goals and 64 assists in 138 appearances during his first stint at the club. These kind of numbers made the world sit up and take notice at England’s next biggest thing but the future hasn’t exactly panned out as expected.
Although a Manchester City academy graduate, Sancho did not hesitate once when Manchester United came calling, in 2021 after agreeing a £73m fee with the German club. It’ll be a huge surprise if the Red Devils can coup even one-fifth of that fee, should they decide to sell him today.
Are Dortmund doing the right thing?
According to the report, Dortmund are looking to negotiate yet another loan deal for the 23-year-old that would see him stay at the club at least until 2025. This would in turn see Sancho make a huge financial sacrifice if he wishes to continue here.
It is clear that Sancho doesn’t see eye to eye with Erik ten Hag and would not consider going back to Manchester to play under the former Ajax coach. That said, considering the abysmal season that the Red Devils themselves seem to be having coupled with the change in ownership, it won’t be surprising to see United go in for a new manager, come the summer.
This could change the fortunes when it comes to Sancho though. Let’s say for example someone like Julien Nagelsmann takes over at Old Trafford. Considering how the former Bayern coach likes to play, he might give the 23-year-old a lifeline. In such a scenario, Dortmund could be set to miss out.
From a Dortmund perspective, they know all too well about what Sancho can do in full song. However, his loan spell until now hasn’t really worked out as all parties expected. What the club must do is wait until the summer and make a decision on the English international depending on if his performances improve or not. If the finances are right, getting the 23-year-old on loan does make sense but it is a risky operation and we need to be sure before we decide to go all in.
