Sancho was left out for Sunday's Premier League clash with Arsenal, in the latest blow to his Manchester United career
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho reacted furiously to being dropped for Manchester United's trip to Arsenal on Sunday, and Rio Ferdinand says the forward has a choice between moving to Saudi Arabia or getting used to warming the bench.
Sancho was left out of the matchday squad entirely for United's 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, a decision which Erik ten Hag explained was due to "his performances in training" leading up to the game.
And it's fair to say the player himself didn't take too kindly to his manager's justification, posting on Twitter: "Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue; I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into; I've been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn't fair!"
Sancho came on as a substitute in United's first three games of 2023/24 but didn't even make the bench at Arsenal (Image credit: Getty Images)
And Ferdinand thinks Sancho could have a big call to make on the future direction of his career. Appearing on his FIVE YouTube channel, the former United and England defender said: "There's no way Jadon is putting out a statement like that if he hasn't, in his own eyes, performed well.
"That's the difference as well. On his chart, Jadon [might think], 'I've trained alright', but the manager might have a different standard. There's two ways this ends. There's only one window open now and that's Saudi [Arabia] – or you're on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season."
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Ferdinand isn't quite right – the Turkish transfer window is still open until 15 September (the Saudi window closes this Thursday) – but Sancho's options are limited.
The 23-year-old was linked with Tottenham and a loan return to Borussia Dortmund this summer, having struggled for form throughout most of his first two seasons at Old Trafford.
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Sancho has not lived up to expectations since his big-money move to Old Trafford in 2021 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Sancho's contract runs until 2026, so United will have plenty of opportunity to sell him in upcoming windows, but it's fair to say they won't recoup anything close to the £73m fee they paid to bring him in.
Transfermarkt currently values Sancho at €45m (£38.4m) – which seems rather generous given his overall performance as a United player.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
