Jadon Sancho completes Man United move

Jadon Sancho completes Man United move

Jadon Sancho’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United has been finalised.

The clubs announced earlier this month that they had reached an agreement over an €85m fee for the 21-year-old, who has now officially agreed personal terms and will become a United player.

The winger, who spent four years with the Black and Yellows, signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford, after he’d finished international duty with England at Euro 2020.

Speaking to the club’s official website, BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “It was Jadon’s desire to return to his home country and the Premier League, and his behaviour was absolutely flawless at all times. I would like to thank him on behalf of everyone at BVB.”

In his time at Signal Iduna Park, Sancho played 137 times, registering 50 goals and 64 assists, while earning both DFB-Pokal and DFB-Supercup winners’ medals.

“I can’t thank the people in charge at Borussia Dortmund enough for the chance they gave me as a very young player. I will always remember the support and love of the incredible fans as something special,” he told the club’s website.

A former academy player at his new Premier League side’s rivals Manchester City, the England international will now look to further develop and test his skills in his native land, in one of world football’s most competitive leagues.

The Red Devils attempted to bring in the 21-year-old last summer but could not agree a fee with BVB. Now this saga has finally reached its climax.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær also spoke with the club’s website: “Jadon epitomises the type of player I want to bring to the club, he is a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United. He will form an integral part of my squad for years to come and we look forward to seeing him blossom.”

“At BVB I was able to mature into the player I am today”

A native of the modest south London neighbourhood of Camberwell, Sancho came through the ranks of Watford FC from the ages of seven to 15.

He then made the move up north to Manchester City, where he spent two years, dazzling defenders at youth level in an impressive academy team, which included the likes of Phil Foden and Brahim Diaz.

Along with that duo, Sancho was said to be ready for a promotion to the first team in 2017. But off-field drama surrounding playing time assurances led to his exclusion from the club’s pre-season squad.

At this point he was ready to grab his career by the scruff of the neck and rise to stardom, by sealing a move to Germany. That’s exactly what he’d do.

Initially he had to be patient for his chances, but his debut came just two months after his arrival, in a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, he certainly made an impression on new boss Peter Stöger, who rewarded the teenaged Sancho with three successive starts to begin the new year of 2018.

A full debut against Wolfsburg was followed by his first direct goal contribution, in the form of an assist against Hertha BSC.

Jadon Sancho
(Photo: Flickr)

Following a spell on the sidelines through injury, the forward, whose father hails from Trinidad and Tobago, soon returned to end the campaign strongly, scoring his first professional goals and claiming two assists in BVB’s 4-0 home demolition of Bayer Leverkusen in April.

His debut season was then rewarded with a contract extension and Sancho started to truly thrive.

A rich vein of form to start the 2018/19 season, which saw him win a Bundesliga player of the month award and a full senior international debut for England, would never falter throughout the duration of the term.

That season the right winger would notch up 13 goals and 20 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions at just 18 and 19 years old, which saw him earn a place in the league’s team of the season.

His final seasons

Now a key player for Dortmund, to begin the 2019/20 season, Sancho performed as he meant to continue, by playing a role in each goal of his side’s 2-0 Supercup win over Bayern Munich at Signal Iduna Park.

His output was even better that season, and his form saw him be named runner-up to Joao Felix in the results of the prestigious Golden Boy award votings.

That season he also scored his first international goals, bagging a brace against Kosovo at Wembley in a Euro qualifier.

An incredible streak of form in winter saw Sancho register both a goal and assist in seven Bundesliga matches from November to February, a time which also saw him net against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Despite the outbreak of covid-19 bringing football to a halt, the Englishman responded duly when it finally resumed, scoring his first career hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Paderborn in May 2020.

The second half of that season saw the start of a deadly connection between Sancho and new BVB star Erling Haaland, chemistry the pair would bring into the following season.

Jude Bellingham soon joined in on the act as the trio represented something of poster boys for the Black and Yellows.

That was matched on the pitch too as the club reached the Champions League quarter-finals and, of course, reached the DFB-Pokal final.

Overall, Sancho had a little lower output last season, largely due to his prolonged spell on the sidelines with a muscle injury.

However, 36 direct goal contributions in all competitions is no mean feat.

Meanwhile his performances on the way to the cup final in Berlin were something to behold; the tricky winger scored or assisted (he did both half of the time!) in each of the club’s previous rounds.

At the Olympiastadion, Sancho scored twice and set up Haaland once as Edin Terzic’s side sealed a historic 4-1 win over RB Leipzig – the perfect parting gift for Sancho.

Impact on both teams

Jadon Sancho has established himself as a cult hero among the Yellow Wall and has paved the way for other English youngsters seeking first team football at a high level.

Given those strong aforementioned connections with his teammates and his productivity in a black and yellow shirt, Dortmund’s team is now undoubtedly weaker.

However, reports are suggesting that the club are in the ‘final stages’ of bringing in prolific PSV forward Donyell Malen, who could be seen as a replacement for Sancho.

16-year-old Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is another exciting English winger who arrived from Manchester City in September last year; he may envisage taking a similar path to Sancho.

Plus, with the €85m gained from this deal, new boss Marco Rose can invest that into other areas of the team, as the club are left with a hefty profit.

On the other side of the deal, Sancho can test his skills in one of the most competitive leagues in world football, in his homeland, for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Having been the subject of several rumours for over a year now, it’s probably the right time for both parties to move on.

United have a star and Dortmund can start searching for more future stars, whose potential they can realise.

Jadon Sancho is a star, and will be fondly remembered in North Rhine-Westphalia. He certainly has a prosperous future ahead.

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