In the summer of 2021, Manchester United fans built up lots of anticipation and excitement around Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s final transfer window in charge of the club. At the time, they did not know their club legend would be sacked just months later, but it is fair to say his final transfer window as manager was a memorable one.
The biggest of the four signings made by the Red Devils that summer was to bring back to the club arguably the game’s greatest player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary attacker cost £12.9m plus add-ons from Juventus, and whilst his second season under current manager Erik ten Hag went pear shape, the first season was memorable, scoring 18 goals in 30 Premier League games.
United also signed one of the most reputable defenders in world football, bringing experienced French defender Raphael Varane to the club from Real Madrid for an initial £34m. The 2018 World Cup winner has so far played 93 games in the red of United, although he could well leave this summer.
That summer, the Red Devils also brought two English players to the club. One was the return of Tom Heaton, on a free transfer as a back-up goalkeeper, and the other saw the end of a long transfer saga which had gone on for over a year.
Jadon Sancho’s Man Utd career in numbers
The player in question here is England winger Jadon Sancho, who joined United from Borussia Dortmund for £73m. Sadly, his time at Old Trafford has not been easy, and he is now back on loan in Germany, although is currently thriving and through to a Champions League semi-final.
Sancho has played 82 times for United so far, scoring just 12 goals and assisting six. He was also part of the squad that won the Carabao Cup last season. Of course, those are not the numbers Sancho, or fans, would have been hoping to see, but it has not been an easy time for him during his time at the club so far.
Sancho’s time at United started rockily, due to an ear infection he picked up right before his first pre-season at the club, a very unfortunate occurrence. Indeed, it was not an easy season for anyone at United, with Solskjær’s sacking coming in November, and the whole squad struggling under interim Ralf Rangnick.
Under Ten Hag, Sancho struggled for minutes due to the arrival of Antony and took a break away from football for personal reasons. When he returned in the New Year of 2023, he hit the ground running and went on a good run of form for the Red Devils.
In the 2023/24 season, the winger fell out with United’s manager, and after a stalemate in which he was iced out from the rest of the squad, got a January move back to Dortmund, where he has since thrived.
Following a disastrous season for United, there are rumours that Ten Hag could leave his post as manager at the end of the season. This may allow Sancho a way back into the first-team fold at Old Trafford, especially considering Thomas Tuchel has been contacted by United, as per journalist Georg Holzner.
How Tuchel would benefit Sancho
At Borussia Dortmund second time round, Sancho has been playing under Edin Terzic. So far, the England international has three goals and two assists in the 17 games he has played since his return to the club.
There are certainly lots of similarities between Sancho’s current role under Terzic, and how that could see him fit in under Tuchel, should the former Chelsea manager get the job at Old Trafford.
Sancho has tended to play on the right-hand side under Tezric so far, yet operates a lot in the half-space, where he does much of his best work. He is a wonderful combination player, often having support from an overlapping full-back and a central midfielder, playing in triangles to help progress Dortmund’s play.
Not only that, Sancho’s final third creativity can shine through in this Dortmund side, who like to pack the box full of players waiting for a cross. Playing on the right means he can very easily cut inside or go on the outside of a defender, before crossing from the byline, a very effective means of creating an opportunity for his side.
Like Terzic, Tuchel has favoured a 4-2-3-1 system at Bayern so far, although both managers are praised by the Bundesliga website for their “tactical acumen”, discussing Tuchel, and “innovative tactical thinking”, talking about the Dortmund boss.
Indeed, the 24-year-old may well fit into a similar role under Tuchel, who loves excellent ball carriers operating in both the left and right half-space, as Sancho excels. Under Tuchel this season, Leroy Sane has been given a licence to drift inside and impact the game from such areas, so it is certainly a possibility Sancho would be given the same chance.
Alternatively, if Tuchel was to play a back three as he did at Chelsea, Sancho could slot into one of the two number 10 roles, which Mason Mount and Kai Havertz at Stamford Bridge under the German mainly occupied. Here, Sancho would no doubt thrive, once again operating in the half spaces again, and being able to drop deeper in midfield at times to carry the ball forward.
When Tuchel was Chelsea manager, there were rumours he wanted to sign the 24-year-old when he was Chelsea manager. Thus, it is fair to assume that he would happily manage him at Old Trafford should he get the United job.
Should the Dortmund number 10 get another chance, but this time with Tuchel at the helm, we could well see another version of Sancho, the one that was on display during his mesmerising performance against PSG in the Champions League semi-finals.
Tuchel was once described as “a bit crazy” by former player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who then said his “style is a bit like that of Guardiola”. Perhaps the Bayern Munich boss is exactly the man to help Sancho discover his best form in a United shirt.
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