Jadon Sancho appears to be the latest Manchester United transfer flop, with the £73 million signing expected to leave this month.
The 23-year-old winger appears to have no future at Old Trafford after a public spat with manager Erik ten Hag, which ended in his exit from the first-team. Sancho said in September that he’d been made a “scapegoat” and hasn’t been seen since, with Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, and a returning Amad eating up minutes.
Man United have issues not only off the field, but also on it. The Red Devils are sixth in the Premier League and have won just two of their past six league games, the most recent of which being a 2-1 loss against Nottingham Forest.
According to the Mirror Football, Manchester United may be obliged to pay £90,000 of Sancho’s wages in order for the youngster to leave Old Trafford on a temporary basis this month. West Ham has been linked, but a return to Borussia Dortmund appears most likely, with Sancho set to become the latest of the Glazers’ many recruitment disasters.
According to financial records, Manchester United spent more than £2 billion on transfers under the Glazer family’s reign. Mirror Football examines five of Manchester United’s most egregious transfer blunders under the Glazers.
Paul Pogba, £89m, 2016
The Frenchman began his career in the youth divisions of Manchester United before moving to Italian heavyweights Juventus in 2012 and quickly creating a name for himself. Pogba was then re-signed by United in 2016 for a fee of £89 million, but the midfielder battled for consistency both on and off the field. Pogba left Manchester United on a free transfer last summer and returned to Juventus, but he now faces an anti-doping tribunal that could effectively terminate his playing career with a lengthy ban.
Antony, £86m, 2022
Ten Hag welcomed winger Antony and Lisandro Martinez to Old Trafford last summer, but only the former has proven to be a useful addition to the team. According to Transfermarkt, Antony is worth less than half of what United paid for him over a year ago, and he has only scored eight goals for the Club since coming.
Harry Maguire, £80m, 2019
Since his big-money move from Leicester to Manchester United in 2019, the England central defensive pillar has been in and out of the lineup. After a great start and securing the skipper, Maguire has subsequently been stripped of the armband and relegated to a rotational role. Maguire was apparently close to joining West Ham in the summer transfer window of 2022, but the deal fell through. He won Premier League Player of the Month in November, but a calf injury has slowed his progress this season.
Jadon Sancho, £73m, 2021
Sancho, once seen as one of the country’s brightest prospects, has struggled to make the most of his return to England. Sancho joined Manchester United in 2021 following a star-studded tenure with Borussia Dortmund, but he has only appeared 82 times, scoring 12 goals.
Alexis Sanchez, £35M and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 2018
Initially, Manchester United’s £35 million signing for Sanchez appeared to be a solid deal, with midfielder Mkhitaryan traveling in the opposite direction to Arsenal. Despite earning a hefty £350,000 each week, the Chilean superstar struggled at Old Trafford. Sanchez appeared in 45 games for United, scoring five times before being loaned out to Inter Milan in 2019. He later joined Inter on a free transfer and briefly played for Marseille before returning to the San Siro-based club.