Jadon Sancho’s predicament at Manchester United has taken a sharp downturn following the appointment of Erik ten Hag.
In stark contrast to his England teammate Bukayo Saka, their career trajectories have diverged significantly.
There are rumblings that Sancho is actively seeking an exit from Manchester, a prospect the club may be willing to entertain.
Ten Hag didn’t mince words when addressing Sancho’s situation after United’s defeat at the Emirates Stadium, publicly admonishing the winger’s training conduct as the reason for his exclusion from the squad.
“When asked about Sancho’s absence from the squad, Ten Hag bluntly stated, “On his performance in training, we didn’t select him.
You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game, he wasn’t selected.”
Sancho, however, took to social media to counter his manager’s claims, even suggesting he was being unfairly scapegoated.
“Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that are completely untrue,” Sancho posted.
“I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t get into. I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn’t fair!”
The looming question now is where Sancho will land once his tenure with United inevitably concludes. Could Arsenal be the place where he reignites his career?
The caveat with Arsenal taking a gamble on Sancho lies in the recent memory of Mikel Arteta’s risk in the transfer market.
The club invested £65 million in Kai Havertz, a player who, like Sancho, struggled at his previous Premier League club and is still in the process of finding his footing.
Havertz’s tenure has been polarizing, with supporters divided in their assessments.
Arteta has faced scrutiny for the hefty investment in the German international, especially given his limited time with Arsenal.
Considering this, embarking on yet another revival project with a player like Sancho may not be the wisest decision at this juncture. Nonetheless, Bukayo Saka requires competition, and the right-wing position remains an area where Arsenal needs top-level competition for their star talent.
If Arsenal could unearth the Sancho who dazzled in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, it would be a no-brainer.
However, the same sentiment applied to the Bayer Leverkusen version of Havertz, highlighting the primary obstacle to any potential transfer – securing Manchester United’s approval for the move.
Follow London Insider on Google News