Man Utd may have just confirmed Jadon Sancho’s fate as ace not helped by Hojlund

Eriksen opens up on incoming Man Utd forward Hojlund

Jadon Sancho may have fallen further down the pecking order at Manchester United following the arrival of Rasmus Hojlund after the new £72million signing was unveiled at the Red Devils’ friendly win over Lens on Saturday. Sancho has failed to impress since moving to Old Trafford in 2021, prompting fears that his time may be up and he could pursue a new environment.

Sancho had been trialled in a new role as a central striker during pre-season to mixed effect, as Erik ten Hag handed the 23-year-old the opportunity to establish himself in the United team. However, he started the penultimate friendly on the bench with Marcus Rashford moved central instead.

Rashford scored but another striker in the form of Hojlund is expected to enter the fray when healthy, as it will take several weeks to recover from a minor injury picked up during pre-season. With the 20-year-old starlet at the club in addition to Rashford and Anthony Martial, it is unlikely that Sancho will get the chance upfront again soon.

Ten Hag has suggested that Sancho’s preferred position is on the left, but both Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho are ahead of the former Borussia Dortmund man while Antony is likely to get the nod on the opposite flank to begin the season – leaving Sancho short of opportunities.

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“I think Jadon Sancho was one of the players who [has made good] progress in this season,” Ten Hag said in May as he reflected on Sancho’s season. “And there were many players in our squad who made good progress. I think it’s a good base to build further on. He can do both [wings], but I think he prefers to play on the left. But we have seen [that] he is very good on the right as well.”

Sancho has certainly not been helped by the arrival of Hojlund or the emergence of Garnacho, who has enjoyed a promising pre-season and once again impressed on the weekend during their win over RC Lens.

There are no suggestions that Sancho is willing to call time on his United career, but he is facing another season as a fringe player and with United adding further quality in depth through Hojlund and Mason Mount he may struggle even further to consistently feature.

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“At this moment he is in a very good vibe,” Ten Hag said following United’s defeat to Dortmund earlier this week.

“He decides how he is, how his mood and vibe is. I hope and expect. He has a lot of energy, we have all seen that from the moment he came back. He wants to enjoy football and be successful.”

He does still have a contract at United for another three years, with the option to extend until 2027, but may have to look elsewhere in order to realise his potential or face a season out in the wilderness.

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