Jadon Sancho was one of England’s stars in a 4-0 victory against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday night.
It was Sancho’s first start of the tournament and his first Euro 2020 actio since United confirmed an agreement for his signature.
While Sancho is keeping his focus on England for now and understandably so, the two biggest winners at club level from his display might have been sitting at home.
Enjoyable watching for Greenwood and Martial
Both Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial in particular will have loved watching United’s big attacking signing in action.
Sancho’s willingness to run with the ball and take players on fits in with both player’s games. The way the England international beat opponents opened up more space for his teammates and Martial and Greenwood are players who could thrive on that.
Martial is at his best when he is able to link up at close quarters with his teammates. When he is too isolated up front his weaknesses are exposed.
Sancho’s ability to dribble and take players on helped England progress the ball upfield and this will suit United’s game and Martial in particular.
Despite Martial’s inefficiency in front of goal last season he still managed to provide five assists, the joint fifth highest in United’s squad along with Mason Greenwood. Both players are going to enjoy feeding off the chances Sancho creates.
Short term and long term impact
Martial could end up being the surprise of the season. Many people have written him off after a disappointing campaign which saw him score just seven goals. It would not be a shock to see him rediscover the form of 2019/20 in which he netted 23 times.
A full pre-season and summer break and determination to prove a point sets the scene for Martial to bounce back in style, and United buying one of Europe’s top creative players will help.
Whether Martial is the long-term answer at United? Probably not. We are six years into the Martial experiment and he has scored over 15 goals in just two of those campaigns. Even if he does it again next season, United should not trust it enough to show total faith if an elite option like Erling Haaland becomes available.
A more long term option is Mason Greenwood. Sancho’s arrival will shift Greenwood into a central position and over time the pair will strike up an impressive partnership.
These are two players who United fans hope can spend the majority of the next 10 years leading the club’s attack. Greenwood will become a better player thanks to Sancho, and the latter’s assist numbers will stay high thanks to the teenage striker. It is going to be exciting seeing them link up and forge a successful connection. When the two players are this talented, they can’t fail to hit it off.
- Lisandro Martinez could play in different position for Argentina in opening game
- Man United Amazon documentary: Eight-figure ‘sweetheart’ deal, Carrick clause, Ineos veto
- Ruben Amorim plans to use two formations at AC Milan after Man Utd 3-4-3 controversy
- Man Utd set to lose ‘highly-rated’ youngster this summer, Barcelona among clubs chasing his signature
- Jose Mourinho received ‘negative reports’ on Alvaro Carreras, now ex-Man Utd star faces challenge
- ‘Here we go’… Fabrizio Romano shares details of €55m ‘done deal’ that impacts Marcus Rashford
- Man Utd will get a new world-class player back from the World Cup, he’s in the form of his life
- Amad Diallo outshone Man United’s £112m transfer target with World Cup masterclass
- Man Utd are in for the wrong Brighton midfielder, Sweden vs Tunisia showed Baleba’s teammate is elite
- How Mateus Fernandes described his style of play in his first interview after signing for West Ham in 2025
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
