Man Utd star Jadon Sancho must learn lesson from Man City wonderkid

ten Hag comments on Man Utd's January transfer plans

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Manchester United star Jadon Sancho must return to fitness sooner rather than later if he is to prevent his stint away from the club from having a significant effect on his career. The England international has top potential, and he needs to prove it to avoid being labelled a failed wonderkid.

Sancho was one of Europe’s most exciting prospects upon signing for United from Borussia Dortmund, scoring eight and assisting 11 in 26 Bundesliga appearances in the season prior. However, he has struggled upon his return to England.

The winger scored three and assisted three in 29 league appearances in his debut 2021/22 United campaign, though his performances were not to the standard of a £73million signing and prompted some to question the acquisition. After getting to grips with his squad, it took only 10 matches for Erik ten Hag to recognise that Sancho needs help in order to get his career back on track.

The pressures of the Premier League mixed with high expectations have seen numerous players crumble, with former Tottenham talent Dele Alli the perfect example of that. The playmaker is struggling at Turkish side Besiktas currently, with local reports claiming that the club want to terminate his loan spell but are unable to reach an agreement with Everton as they do not want to welcome him back. Sancho will be keen to not be another forgotten prospect.

Given United’s lack of depth in the final third, some have questioned his spell away from the first team. Asked about when the 22-year-old will return, Ten Hag said: “I would like to have Jadon back as soon as possible … I will do everything that’s in my power but some processes you can’t force and this is one of them. So I have also to show patience.

“In this moment he’s not fit enough. I hope Jadon can return quickly but I can’t say a duration of how long it will be.” It is no secret that a lack of fitness will only increase the chances of Sancho sustaining injuries – and the forward will be keen to limit the chances of further spells on the sidelines.

Having the world at your feet but lacking fitness is something that happened to former Manchester City wonderkid Michael Johnson, who admitted that injury problems prevented him from reaching his potential and consequently prompted his early retirement.

The midfielder slowly faded into the abyss at City after failing to recognise his potential until it was too late. Sancho is certainly putting the work in to prevent following in the footsteps of Johnson, though he needs to do his talking on the pitch to prove to his doubters that he is the top talent that arrived at the Theatre of Dreams in 2021.

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