In a surprising turn of events, out-of-favour Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho has made a temporary move back to Borussia Dortmund on loan, the Bundesliga club announced on Thursday. Sancho, who signed with Manchester United in a £73 million ($93m) deal in 2021, had been sidelined for more than four months following a public disagreement with manager Erik ten Hag.
The 23-year-old forward, who hasn’t played for United since August, expressed his enthusiasm about returning to Dortmund, stating, “When I came into the dressing room today, it felt like ‘coming home.'” Sancho, who made 137 appearances for Dortmund between 2017 and 2021, scoring 50 goals, is set to don the No 10 shirt for the Bundesliga club.
The rift between Sancho and ten Hag arose after the manager dropped him for the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on September 3. Sancho publicly disputed Ten Hag’s reasoning for the decision in a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), stating it was “completely untrue” that he was dropped for poor performances in training.
Despite United leaving the door open for Sancho’s return, ten Hag insisted on an apology, emphasizing certain standards that every player must meet. In December, ten Hag stated, “What will happen there, he knows what he has to do if he wants to return and it is up to him. He knows what he has to do, it is up to him.”
Now, with the loan move to Dortmund until the end of the season, Sancho is eager to reunite with his former teammates and contribute to the team’s goals. Dortmund will contribute around €3.5m (£3m) during his loan spell, with potential €4m (£3.4m) in add-ons based on their performance in the Champions League, Bundesliga success, and appearances.
Sancho’s return to Dortmund provides an opportunity for a fresh start, and he expressed his excitement for the journey ahead, posting on X for the first time since August, stating, ‘2024, let’s go!’ and acknowledging his move to Borussia Dortmund. The winger, under contract at Old Trafford until at least 2026, retains the option for United to extend for an additional year.
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