Since parting company with Manchester City over a contract dispute in 2017, London-born winger Jadon Sancho has enjoyed a meteoric rise. He surprised everyone by swapping the English Premier League for the German Bundesliga , signing for Borussia Dortmund where he stepped straight into the first team.
The Bundesliga’s Best…@Sanchooo10 🏆
Three Goals ⚽️ – Three Assists 🅰️ – Five Matches 👤 pic.twitter.com/bQr6HB1E5b
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) March 20, 2020
An instant hit in Germany
He has since made 91 appearances for the club scoring 31 goals from a wide attacking position (27 from 70 in the league). He already has a German Super Cup to his name and has made 11 appearances for the England national team since moving abroad. He is the first Englishman to play a league match for Dortmund and was included in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for 2018/19. There is a chance he may add to his trophy cabinet as Dortmund looks set to push Bayern Munich all the way, although 5/1 odds on the German Bundesliga market suggest the bookmakers aren’t convinced.
The 20-year-old has also received praise for the maturity he has shown in adapting to another league and culture so effortlessly. A spell at boarding school while part of Watford’s academy, aged 11, and a move to Manchester at 14 may have helped him to become more adaptable to new environments.
Transfer rumours abound
Sancho signed a new contract with the Black and Yellows last September but that has not stopped speculation that he might be about to return to England or even move to a bigger club abroad. Many bookmakers are already offering on him moving next season with Manchester United favourites ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool. Next in the running are Spanish giants Barcelona and Italian powerhouse Juventus, while Bayern may also be tempted to lure one of their rival’s top players away from Signal Iduna Park.
Likely destination
Barcelona already has plenty of attacking options so it looks unlikely that he will follow former Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele to Catalonia, while his apparent loyalty to Dortmund may prevent him from making the move to Munich. If he is going to remain abroad but leave Dortmund, Juventus could be his most likely destination unless Real Madrid decides to swoop. However, there has been no interest from the Spanish club so far.
The German connection?
Of the English teams, the press seems convinced that Manchester United are the frontrunners with Chelsea having cooled off following interest in January. But a move to Liverpool should not be ruled out. Jurgen Klopp still has plenty of contacts at Dortmund and the Reds are likely to be Premier League champions by the time the transfer window opens. If the Anfield club is interested, it may too good a move for the ambitious youngster to turn down. Klopp’s men represent the best chance of silverware outside of Manchester City at this moment in time.
How good is Sancho?
Sancho became the first footballer in any of Europe’s five major divisions to record double figures for both goals and assists this season. His most exciting strength is his ability to control the ball on the move, at pace and under pressure, and turn that possession into a goal-scoring opportunity, either for himself or for a teammate.
His skill, vision and awareness make him a nightmare for defenders but a dream for the fans watching on. Whoever prizes him away from Dortmund, will have an incredible player on their hands.