Jadon Sancho’s Manchester United nightmare is over, but a new test awaits the one-time Ballon d’Or candidate as he joins a cluttered field of wingers at Chelsea.
Sancho joins Chelsea on loan with an obligation for the Blues to buy the 23-times capped England forward after the season, when the player will be 25 years old. That fee, according to Fabrizio Romano, is approximately $33 million.
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A member of Manchester City’s academy before moving to Borussia Dortmund and dominating the Bundesliga, Sancho’s move to Manchester United was slow-developing and never took root.
Sancho managed just 12 goals and six assists over 83 first-team appearances for Man United, requiring a loan to Dortmund at the end of last season where he showed well back in black and yellow.
Jadon Sancho to Chelsea: How can it work?
Sancho likes to operate on the left side but can work on the right just as well. It seems likely his best path to a starring role will be on the left.
His competition on the left includes shiny new signing Pedro Neto while Mykhailo Mudryk also prefers to be on that side.
But wait, there’s more. Joao Felix is a striker but if shipped wide he looks to the left. Noni Madueke is a right-sided player, as is Angelo.
Christopher Nkunku also plays some forward and left wing, while Cole Palmer moves across the field but is on the right when not central.
Over-simplifying, let’s assume Neto and Mudryk are the prime left-sided competitors, with Palmer and Nkunku duking it out centrally, and Sancho fighting with Madueke on the right. Sprinkle in some Felix if Jackson is dominating the center forward minutes.
This definitely can work out for Sancho.