Jadon Sancho ‘definitely’ leaving Man Utd in January; winger in ‘regular contact’ to force through ‘unrealistic’ transfer

Jadon Sancho is in touch with Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic as he prepares to leave Manchester United in January, according to a top German source.

Sancho starred for Dortmund between 2017 and 2021, but things have not gone as well for him at Man Utd – to the extent that he is currently frozen out of Erik ten Hag’s plans amid a public dispute between manager and player.

There has been plenty of speculation about Sancho leaving Man Utd in January and according to Sky Sports Deutschland expert Florian Plettenberg, that will ‘definitely’ be the case.

The question remains where the winger will end up. Plettenberg has confirmed Sancho is in ‘regular contact’ with Terzic – who gave him 23 of his 137 Dortmund appearances while serving as their interim manager and has since progressed to the permanent role – although it remains ‘unrealistic’ (if not impossible) that the England international could return to the Bundesliga side.

Wherever he goes, Sancho could be leaving Man Utd on loan after they previously set a high asking price for him this summer. In January, less clubs may be willing to commit to a permanent deal, so a temporary spell elsewhere could be in everyone’s best interests.

Man Utd still have Sancho under contract until 2026, although it is clear that Ten Hag has no intention of recalling him unless he apologises for the comments that led to their falling out.

As things stand, that seems unlikely. Essentially, both parties feel like they have been disrespected by each other. In turn, Sancho and his representatives will have to look for a way he can continue his career elsewhere.

READ MORE: Man Utd tipped to meet £52m clause to sign replacement for existing defender in January

Still only 23 years old, Sancho retains a significant degree of unfulfilled potential. His original stint with Dortmund proved he could develop into a regular contributor of goals and assists.

It hasn’t quite translated for him back in the Premier League, which could encourage him to explore his options overseas again. That said, a move to Saudi Arabia while the Pro League window was still open in September did not get off the ground. Ultimately, all will depend on what clubs make approaches for him in the winter.

Dortmund return would be best for Sancho if possible

If it was feasible, embarking on a second spell with Dortmund might be a wise choice for Sancho, who was previously a popular player over in Germany. Those familiar surroundings might bring the best out of him again.

Right now, it just seems like he needs any kind of escape route from Man Utd to avoid this turning into a nightmare season on an individual level.

Sancho has scored just 12 goals in 82 appearances for Man Utd since they signed him in 2021 after a protracted pursuit, which sadly does not seem to have been worth the effort from their perspective.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the feud, Man Utd manager Ten Hag is coming under pressure from pundits.