Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho were all smiles after the hard-fought victory over Brentford.
Image credit: Chelsea FC
Jadon Sancho, a talented football player, is once again unsure about where he’ll play next.
After a short time on loan at Chelsea, they’ve decided not to keep him permanently. Now, Sancho has to decide what to do with his career.
Chelsea liked him, but they couldn’t agree on a long-term contract. One big problem was his high salary—about £300,000 every week.
That’s a lot of money! So, Chelsea paid Manchester United £5 million just to send him back.
Even though this is disappointing, Sancho showed enough good moments that other teams might still want him.
But at 25 years old, he has to choose carefully or risk falling out of the spotlight.
A Quick End at Chelsea
Back in March, when Sancho wasn’t scoring or assisting much, people started wondering if Chelsea would still want to buy him.
He later played better, especially in the Conference League, and even scored in the final match against Real Betis, helping Chelsea win 4-1.
It looked like Chelsea might keep him for £25 million—a good deal in today’s market.
But during contract talks, things didn’t work out.
Chelsea and Sancho’s agents couldn’t agree on personal terms, so the deal fell apart.
His high weekly salary at Manchester United made things difficult.
Even though it was reported that he might accept a pay cut, it still didn’t help close the deal.
Mixed Reviews
Sancho’s season at Chelsea had its ups and downs.
At first, he was great—he gave four assists in his first three Premier League games and had six total goal contributions in nine games.
Chelsea even reached second place in the league early on.
But the team’s form dropped after that. Sancho only scored one more league goal after December.
Still, many fans and coaches appreciated his effort and personality.
“Jadon Sancho, if we finished fourth, it’s because of Jadon, if we won tonight it’s because of Jadon,” said coach Enzo Maresca after the Conference League final match.
Not everyone agreed, though.
“Jadon Sancho at Chelsea, for me, he flopped because he was given an opportunity to play at a top club and show everyone what he was capable of, but he didn’t do it,” said former Chelsea player William Gallas.
Thankful for the Chance
Even though his time at Chelsea wasn’t perfect, Sancho was happy he got to play more often and get back in form after returning from Borussia Dortmund.
“Grateful for the experience,” the winger wrote on social media.
“Big love to everyone at Chelsea who made me feel at home – team-mates, staff and the fans. Wishing the club all the best moving forward. Truly grateful. Thank you, Blues.”
Now, he hopes to build on that and move forward in his career.
No Return to Manchester United
Sancho is back at Manchester United, but it doesn’t look like he’ll play there again.
The new manager, Ruben Amorim, uses a system that doesn’t need traditional wingers like Sancho.
Plus the dact that United have already signed other players like Matheus Cunha and may bring in Bryan Mbeumo too.
Also, since Sancho’s contract ends in a year, United wants to sell him rather than risk losing him for free in 2026.
Another loan might happen, but it’s risky for the club because he could leave with no money coming in.
Follow Marcus Rashford?
One interesting option is Aston Villa. That’s the same club fellow United player Marcus Rashford might go to.
Playing at a smaller club like Villa might give Sancho more confidence and less pressure. It could be a good place to restart his career.
If he goes there on loan and does well, he could join permanently when his United contract ends and his big salary isn’t a problem anymore.
Back to Germany?
Sancho became famous when he played in Germany for Borussia Dortmund.
The German league suits his fast and creative playing style.
Right now, it seems Dortmund doesn’t want to bring him back, but that could change—especially if another player, Jamie Gittens, goes to Chelsea to take Sancho’s old spot.
United still owes Dortmund money from Sancho’s transfer in 2021, so they might use that in negotiations.
Other German teams like Bayer Leverkusen were interested, but they just hired Sancho’s old United coach Erik ten Hag, which might ruin that chance.
Some Italian teams like Napoli and AC Milan might also be thinking about signing Sancho, but it’s unclear how serious those plans are.
A Risky Move to Saudi Arabia?
One big possibility is the Saudi Pro League.
Teams like Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr (Cristiano Ronaldo’s team) are very interested in Sancho.
They can also afford to pay his high salary.
But Sancho has to think carefully—he’s only 25 and still has time to achieve big things in Europe.
Going to Saudi Arabia might make him disappear from the spotlight, even if he plays well.
