Jadon Sancho (25) is returning to Manchester United.
Chelsea officially announced on the 11th (Korea time) that "Jadon Sancho is going back to Manchester United."
Sancho played on loan at Chelsea during the 2023-2024 season, contributing to their victory by scoring in the UEFA Conference League final, but Chelsea did not execute the full transfer option amounting to £25 million (approximately 46.5 billion won). Instead, they chose to pay Manchester United a contract breach penalty of £5 million (approximately 9.3 billion won) and return the player.
Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca hoped for Sancho's retention, but the club did not accept his demand for a salary of £300,000 (approximately 558 million won). Sancho refused a pay cut, which seems to have led to a separation from the club.
Chelsea stated, "Sancho joined Chelsea on a season-long loan on August 31, 2024, and competed in a total of 41 matches this season," adding, "During his time at Stamford Bridge, Sancho scored 5 goals, with his last goal coming in the victory over Real Betis in the Conference League final."
They added, "The Chelsea club is grateful for Sancho's dedication and wishes him success in his future endeavors."
Earlier, The Athletic reported, "Dortmund is in contact with Sancho's camp. They plan to use Sancho as an attacking midfielder under coach Niko Kovac. However, his high salary is a hurdle."
Additionally, according to Ruhr Nachrichten, Sebastian Kehl, Director General of Dortmund, noted, "We have maintained contact with Sancho for a long time. However, this is not an immediate priority for us. We have other priorities, and the issue of acquiring Sancho may have been reported more prominently in the media than within the club."
The issue indeed lies in the high salary level. Both Dortmund and West Ham United approached the acquisition of Sancho seriously but are hesitant due to the excessively high salary.
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