Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag will not be able to work with each other again.
After several months of speculation that he was destined for the sack, Ten Hag recently extended his contract with United until 2026. While the Dutchman will be staying on at Old Trafford, Sancho is also set to return after a six-month loan spell at Borussia Dortmund. The ex-England international was sent to his former side in the January transfer window following his public fallout with Ten Hag after United’s 3-1 away loss to Arsenal last season.
Sancho publicly refuted a claim from the ex-Ajax boss that he was jettisoned from the squad for his poor performances, claiming that he had been training well. The 24-year-old’s current contract runs out in 2026 and United are understood to have put a £40million price tag on his head. Whatever happens, Saha thinks it is unlikely that Ten Hag and Sancho will be able to see eye to eye with each other.
The former United hero, who was speaking on behalf of Paddy Power, said: “The Jadon Sancho situation is horrible for everybody. As a Man United fan, you want to see the best players and most talented players on the pitch and Sancho is definitely one of those players that can disrupt the opposition.
“But, since he signed, he hasn’t performed regularly, and it’s been going on for months now so it’s time to find the solution for everybody. We want to see him go somewhere he’s playing, scoring and enjoying his football, wherever it is he wants to go.
“I’m sad because I really like him when he’s in form, but it hasn’t happened for him at United. It’s a very difficult situation to manage and it’s bad for the club because it’s an off-field situation that’s affected things on the pitch.”
The rumoured £40m fee United are reportedly demanding for Sancho would result in a significant loss for the club. They originally paid Dortmund £73million for the winger just three years ago, reports the Mirror.
However, there is currently a mass departure taking place at United, with reports suggesting that every player except Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Rasmus Hojlund is up for sale. It appears that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team are prepared to take a hit in order to offload several costly acquisitions, and Sancho could well be among those leaving the club.
Saha argues that Sancho’s departure would be in the best interests of both parties, pointing to the immense pressure on the recently-extended Ten Hag as the main reason why a return would be ill-advised.
Saha added: “Even if Erik ten Hag considered bringing him back into the team, I doubt it would work because if he starts playing well, people will say that ten Hag should have brought him in earlier. But if he doesn’t play well, then people will say that he shouldn’t have brought him back.”
In Ten Hag’s early months in charge, it looked like he would be the one to bring Sancho’s best form out for the Red Devils. He allowed Sancho to train in the Netherlands with coaches recommended by Ten Hag so he could improve his form and refocus.
However, he has not appeared for United since he came off the bench in United’s 3-2 home victory over Nottingham Forest on August 26 last year.