Transfer News: Where Will Jadon Sancho Be Come Close of The Transfer Window?

The January transfer window is now firmly open and one player on everyone's lips is the out-of-favour Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho.

The England international made substitute appearances in United's first three Premier League matches this season but he has not featured for the club since the start of September.

Sancho's relationship with manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly broken down so a January move away from Old Trafford – whether permanent or on loan – would appear to suit all parties.

We look at where it has gone wrong for the forward at United and what the future could hold for a player of undoubted talent who is still only 23 years old.

From City youth star to the darling of Dortmund fans

Sancho was born in south London and signed by Manchester City at the age of just 14. Despite being one of the star players in the Citizens' youth system, Sancho opted to leave England in August 2017, joining Borussia Dortmund in search of immediate first-team opportunities.

The move worked out both for the player and the German club as he made his Bundesliga debut at the age of 17 in October 2017 and scored his first goal against Bayer Leverkusen in April 2018.

The 2018-19 season was a breakthrough campaign for Sancho, who scored against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season after contributing 12 goals and 14 assists.

The following season he scored 17 Bundesliga goals, finishing behind only Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner in the race for the Golden Boot.

Those performances caught the attention of some of England's biggest clubs and in July 2021, a couple of months after scoring twice in Dortmund's DFB-Pokal final victory over RB Leipzig, Sancho signed for Manchester United.

Unsettled United fail to get the best out of Sancho

Sancho's success in Germany, coupled with a transfer fee of more than £70 million, meant expectations were high when he arrived at Old Trafford.

Just a week before the deal was completed, however, he was one of three England players to miss a penalty in the shootout defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

After that disappointment, Sancho needed a supportive and secure environment at his new club but Cristiano Ronaldo's shock return to Old Trafford in August 2021 changed the dynamic of United's attacking unit.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in late November and Ralf Rangnick took charge on an interim contract until the end of the season.

Those issues made it harder for Sancho to settle at Old Trafford and he managed just eight goal contributions in 38 appearances in 2021-22.

Ten Hag's arrival at the start of 2022-23 should have offered a fresh start but United struggled for attacking fluency throughout the campaign.

They finished third but scored just 58 goals in 38 Premier League matches, compared with Manchester City's 94 and Arsenal's 88, and Sancho chipped in with six goals in 21 league starts.

Former United manager Solskjaer suggested that one factor holding him back was Marcus Rashford's superb form on the left-wing – Sancho's preferred position.

Rashford scored 17 league goals in 2022-23 and also struck three times for England at the 2022 World Cup, a tournament for which Sancho was not selected.

And the emergence of youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri, along with the big-money signing of Antony from Ajax, meant there was even more competition for places on the wing for United.

European powerhouses offer escape route for England winger

Manchester United's lack of a top-class centre-forward has also made life difficult for Sancho, who spent his final one-and-a-half seasons at Dortmund teeing up superstar striker Erling Haaland.

Ten Hag left the winger out of the squad for September's clash with Arsenal, claiming that his performances in training had not been up to scratch, and that public criticism suggested it would be hard for player and manager to be reconciled.

Sancho's first-team exile means he has not played alongside Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund, who made his debut in the defeat to the Gunners, and a move away from United looks increasingly likely.

Having moved north from London to join City at the age of 14 before heading to Germany at 17, Sancho is clearly happy to challenge himself and broaden his horizons.

A rumoured autumn switch to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia came to nothing but Sancho was one of Europe's hottest properties when he joined United so top clubs should be willing to give the 23-year-old another chance.

The German media has cooled speculation over a possible return to Dortmund in a swap deal for Netherlands winger Donyell Malen but Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also been linked with Sancho.

Those two clubs like to play with pacy wingers in support of a prolific centre-forward – Lewandowski of Barca and Bayern's Harry Kane – while RB Leipzig and Juventus and, closer to home, Newcastle and Chelsea are other potential destinations.

The new ownership set-up at Old Trafford and Ten Hag's uncertain future as manager also complicate Sancho's situation.

A loan move in January may be the best option for the winger, who is hoping to rekindle not only his club but his international career.

The most recent of his 23 England caps came against Andorra in October 2021 and, while it may be fanciful to suggest he could force his way into Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad as it stands, Three Lions fans would love to see him recapture the scintillating form he showed for Dortmund.