Update: This deal is not happening, there is no there there, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano (see the Tweets below)
It’s 11th hour summer transfer window deadline day drama, Saudi style. Al-Ettifaq, of the Saudi Pro League, are set to submit a late bid to sign Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United. That is according to a report in CBS Sports, which follows up an earlier report in Sport Italia. That article, in which the club was still unnamed, claims they “sent an official offer” to Sancho’s representatives.
Sources close to Jadon Sancho confirm again that he’s NOT joining Al Ettifaq in the final hours of Saudi market ????
Not happening.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 7, 2023
Jadon Sancho and Al Ettifaq, story being denied on both player and club side — no negotiations taking place after Gray deal done, he’ll be Ettifaq winger. ??? #MUFC
Sancho, expected to discuss situation with Erik ten Hag & coaching staff soon. pic.twitter.com/t9hpqrwLrL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 7, 2023
Sancho was left out of the squad last weekend at Arsenal, and when asked why, manager Erik ten Hag said it was due to player’s attitude toward training. Sancho then took to social media to dispute that, setting off a fire storm.
The club is siding with Ten Hag, and that means the English international might be close to having played his final match in a Red Devils shirt.
Jadon Sancho had issues that were very similar to this during his Manchester City days.
In fact, when you look closer, you see a pattern- the winger/forward has had clashes with his coaches and management almost everywhere that he’s gone.
Have you observed Jadon’s performance during training? Is Jadon, who is currently in his third year with United, meeting expectations? It’s worth noting that Southgate made a similar comment about him in 2021, in 2019 Jadon Sancho was fined 86k for continuing to turn up late for…
— Stretford Post (@StretfordPost) September 4, 2023
The expectations for him have been, are and remain very high, given that United paid close to $100 million to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021. They did so after trying hard to sign him the previous summer (and some would say the summer before that as well).
And he’s been given numerous chances- Ten Hag did everything he could to try and help Sancho get his head and body right, by allowing him a long sabbatical in mid-season last term.
Ten Hag even tried him out as a striker/center forward this preseason, to try and see if Sancho could fit in to the side that way.
Nothing has worked out, and his exit could be imminent.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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