Manchester United player who travelled 500 miles to be snubbed could finally be sold
Jadon Sancho made the trip to the south coast on Saturday but was not in the squad.
Sancho was left out of the Manchester United squad for a successive game and watched from the stands as his teammates lost at the Amex Stadium. The decision to omit him from the 20-man squad was ruthless from Erik ten Hag and supporters have no sympathy with the winger's predicament.
"He's here. I had a choice to make and we had some issues," said Ten Hag pre-match. "We need a full squad and he is one of them. He has to compete for his position and from game to game, we will have a look. In the squad, we need every position double because it's a long season."
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You would get any odds you liked on Sancho sticking around Old Trafford for the full 2024/25 campaign. Ten Hag was diplomatic when asked about him in pre-season, but the opening two games show his true feelings and the player is in talks to leave before deadline day.
Although United have been looking to sell Sancho, there hasn't been a huge appetite from top sides to sign him, which isn't surprising given his profile and wages. With the transfer window closing on Friday, Juventus and Chelsea have emerged as possible destinations and United are hoping a deal can be struck, most likely with the Serie A side.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. Ten Hag leaving Sancho out of two squads shows he'll only be included when necessary and he must depart to prevent another six months in the cold at Carrington. Sancho wants to leave and has no mention of United on his social media, so a departure is probable although it will be interesting to see how a deal would be structured.
Chelsea