Jadon Sancho won’t be missed by many Manchester United fans as his career crashed and burned at Old Trafford but Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has already marked him as a key player.
Sancho left for Premier League rivals in tense circumstances on deadline day after his move to Juventus collapsed.
The loan deal with an obligation to purchase next season finally brings the curtains down on arguably one of the worst transfers in Manchester United history considering the expectations, fee, and wages.
His career at Old Trafford ended with a whimper as he was left out of the matchday squad for every game he was available for.
Erik ten Hag clearly didn’t value his skill set over the other players at the club but it seems like Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has identified a key strength of his game.
Enzo Maresca on Jadon Sancho
The biggest disappointment with Sancho at Manchester United was that the club never witnessed the version of the player who thrilled in Germany.
At Borussia Dortmund, he was a dribbling menace who combined the beautiful art of “street-style” football full of trickery with a clear understanding of when to release the ball.
It led to him tearing apart the Bundesliga, as United bought a player who had 17 goals and 16 assists in 32 appearances in the league the previous season.
That player vanished at Old Trafford, but Maresca is convinced that Sancho’s skill set is exactly what Chelsea needs.
He said: “I’m very happy to have Sancho at Chelsea, he’s here because we like that kind of player who can help in 1vs1. He’s key – especially against a low block, we need him.”
Maresca’s comments will be ironic to United fans since breaking down low blocks has been the club’s biggest struggle since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
The team has looked at their best when playing on transitions, utilising their pacy wingers to stretch the opposition.
Sancho never fit the part of that type of winger so Maresca clearly hopes a change in system will unlock the player’s best version. But it’s not just about the system…
Sancho’s motivation
People with short memories might criticise Erik ten Hag for his mistreatment and wrong tactical use of Sancho but he’s the one who gave Sancho months off in his first season to get his head right.
The manager gave unwavering support to the player when he was struggling and only after the “carrot” approach failed did he bring out the “stick”.
Sancho’s motivation to succeed felt absent at Old Trafford since he failed under multiple managers during his time at the club.
They all used different systems to an extent so to say that the blame lies squarely on United’s shoulders for this transfer failing would be disingenuous.
Of course, Sancho might succeed at Chelsea but sometimes, a different environment is all it takes. It wouldn’t be a damning indictment of United.
If anything, Sancho working hard and impressing there would raise questions on his motivation and desire to succeed at Man United since Chelsea are hardly a beacon of stability themselves.
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