Emery later revealed that the decision was due to fitness concerns, as Sancho had played 67 minutes in Europe a few days earlier. However, he appears to be part of Villa’s second-team squad, with updates now emerging regarding his future at Old Trafford and the three clubs he could join next year.
With all this in mind, Express Sport has delved deeper into Sancho’s situation at Villa Park, his contract with United and his potential next club.
Contract decided with United
Sancho signed a five-year contract when he joined United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, so his contract will expire in about six months.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Sancho will technically leave the club as a free agent after making 83 appearances in just two years, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists, given his loan spell elsewhere.
United will be relieved to have his big wages waived, but will no doubt regret potentially losing a player they spent £73m to sign.
Sancho’s former club, Borussia Dortmund, has played an active role in helping them advance to the Champions League final in 2024 after an impressive loan spell with Chelsea, and there is a possibility that they will re-sign Sancho.
Unai Emery’s position
Manager Emery rates Sancho highly, but it remains unclear whether he intends to sign him on a permanent basis. Villa, who pay 80% of Sancho’s wages, did not agree to a buyout clause as part of his loan from United, but are likely to lead the race if they decide to hold contract negotiations at the end of the season.
Reports in September suggested that Villa were already considering a permanent move. However, Sancho’s playing time has been limited since his summer transfer, which has cast doubt on this possibility.
Despite this, Villa manager Emery is clear about Sancho’s abilities. “When Leon Bailey left, it was time to evaluate the players we had identified through scouting,” Emery said when asked about the decision to sign the winger.
“Then we had the opportunity to sign and one of the players on our list was Jadon Sancho. He can play on the right wing or the left wing and he offers something different. He’s a good player – even though he’s 25 – and we felt he performed very well for Chelsea last year.”
“Yes, he had some problems at Manchester United, but he had some great performances at Borussia Dortmund. He has also played for England 25 times. He is still young, still hungry and has the ability to show his skills and qualities.
“We hope to bring out the best in him here. In recent years he has played more on the left, but in Dortmund he played more on the right. Here we see him able to play in both positions.”
United will not be able to bring Sancho back in January as he is on loan at Villa without a release clause and is expected to complete the season.
Confidential discussions overseas
Sancho is now certain to leave United when his contract expires next summer, but there is still a chance he could be signed to leave United permanently in January.
Catchoffside claim that “low-key but meaningful discussions” took place between Sancho’s camp and representatives from Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas during the November international break.
These conversations reportedly took place in a luxury hotel, and the Turkish trio outlined their plans for Sancho. It has also been suggested that Sancho would be willing to accept a reduction in his current salary of £13 million a season.
