Pep Guardiola has already issued a warning about Jadon Sancho to Manchester United.
Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United is in jeopardy as a result of his public dispute with manager Erik ten Hag.
The relationship between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag appears to be deteriorating after the player publicly disagreed with the manager’s assessment that he hadn’t trained well prior to the Premier League match against Arsenal.
The winger did not even make the bench as Manchester United suffered a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to their rivals on Sunday at the Emirates. Sancho tweeted in response to his manager’s claims, “Please do not believe everything you read. This week, I have conducted myself exceptionally well in training, and I will not tolerate anyone saying anything untrue. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I will not discuss; it is unfair that I have been the scapegoat for so long!
“All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”
Since his £73 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, Sancho has failed to establish himself as a regular member of Ten Hag’s first team.
His outburst appears to have cast doubt on his future at Old Trafford, and he could now face the ax after publicly challenging his boss. Sancho previously struggled to break into Manchester City’s first team, despite seeing academy graduates such as Phil Foden make the transition successfully.
City manager Pep Guardiola had previously hinted that Sancho ‘didn’t want to take the challenge’ of fighting his way into the Spaniard’s first-team plans. As a result, the England international ultimately decided to move to the Bundesliga with Dortmund. When asked why Sancho left City in 2019, the manager responded, “I don’t know. He did not wish to accept this challenge, this chance to determine whether he was capable of breaking into the first team.
“He decided to go there. So, it’s perfect. It’s going well and congratulations on what he is doing.
“He is doing an incredible performance. He did it incredibly well this season. What would have happened this season [at City]? I don’t know. Again, with the players, it depends on them and what they do on the pitch.”
The comments paint a picture of a player who, when presented with an obstacle on his path to the first team, may seek an alternative route. Something comparable to what he is currently facing at United.
In fact, Sancho himself admitted to being envious of players who are receiving regular playing time when he discussed the transfer in 2022.
He stated to Sky Sports Germany, “I was aware of the other players in Dortmund.” At the time, Christian Pulisic was only 19 years old. He almost served as a role model for me.
“I saw him and thought to myself, ‘That could be me too’. Luckily BVB gave me this chance and I think I did the job.”
This week, Sancho could be taking similar glances. Sancho may become envious of Eberechi Eze, Jack Grealish, and James Maddison’s opportunities, as the winger has fallen out of favor with Gareth Southgate’s England team.
Sancho was far ahead of them all when he arrived at Old Trafford, but he will have to watch as they compete for their country against Ukraine and Scotland in the coming days.
Again, he may be left thinking, “That could also be me.”
Pep Guardiola has already issued a warning about Jadon Sancho to Manchester United.
