Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has broken his silence on what went wrong with Jadon Sancho during their time together at Old Trafford, revealing an unexpected health issue derailed the £73million signing from the very beginning.
The Dream Signing That Turned Sour
In the summer of 2021, Manchester United finally secured their long-term target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in a blockbuster £73million deal. The then-21-year-old winger had impressed enormously in the Bundesliga after leaving Manchester City four years earlier, and Solskjaer hailed his arrival as someone who would 'epitomise the best traditions of Manchester United'.
Solskjaer explained his thinking behind the major acquisition: 'We wanted to take the next step - not move away from what we had, but add something different in the final third. We wanted players who could break teams down, and Jadon, with his skill, link-up play, and little passes around the box, gave us that.'
The Unfortunate Start That Set the Tone
However, Solskjaer has now revealed that Sancho's Manchester United career was compromised before it even properly began. 'He was unlucky though,' the Norwegian told The Overlap. 'Before he joined, he went on holiday, as you do, and ended up getting an ear infection. He was in hospital, and really struggled for his first 10 days or so before he could even start training with us.'
This previously undisclosed health issue meant Sancho missed crucial early integration time. 'I never really got to play with him properly,' Solskjaer admitted, 'because by the time he was finding form again, I was already on my way out.' Solskjaer was dismissed by United's hierarchy in November 2021 after losing seven of his final 13 matches in charge.
The Downward Spiral Under Ten Hag
Sancho's situation deteriorated significantly under Solskjaer's successor, Erik ten Hag. Although the forward made 41 appearances in all competitions during Ten Hag's first full season, he took a period away from first-team duties in December 2022 due to physical and mental factors.
The relationship completely collapsed at the start of the following season when Ten Hag publicly claimed Sancho's training performances weren't sufficient for selection. Sancho firmly denied this on social media, suggesting his manager had made him a 'scapegoat for a long time', leading to his complete exile from the first-team squad.
The consequences have been stark for the once-celebrated signing:
- Loan spell at Borussia Dortmund
- Subsequent loan to Chelsea
- Current rocky loan stint at Aston Villa where he's made just four appearances and is yet to start a Premier League game under Unai Emery
Sancho remains an outcast at Carrington, his Manchester United career effectively over despite the club's massive investment just three years ago.
