Did Jadon Sancho kick his last ball for Manchester United?

It is the latest episode of a frustrating time at Old Trafford for the England international.

Here we look at where it went wrong.

What happened?

Ten Hag didn’t include Sancho in his squad for Sunday’s game at Arsenal, saying the player hadn’t reached the required “level” in training. This was quickly denied by Sancho in a strong statement on social media. The 23-year-old claimed he had long been ‘scapegoated’ and claims about his behavior in training were ‘completely untrue’. After two difficult years at the club, this raised questions about his future.

What were the previous editions?

Sancho’s United career doesn’t seem to have really taken off yet. Recognized as one of England’s brightest young talents, he arrived to much fanfare in the summer of 2021 but illness initially limited his engagement. Then there was the turmoil when manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was replaced by Ralf Rangnick last summer ahead of Ten Hag’s arrival. Confidence has suffered significantly and Sancho has not been able to find consistent form.

What happened under Ten Hag?

Sancho’s performances did not improve much after Ten Hag’s arrival last summer and he was therefore overlooked in England’s World Cup squad. Ten Hag continued to criticize his “state of fitness” and revealed that he had been training outside the squad for some time under an “individual programme”. Since then, options have been limited by Marcus Rashford’s form and continued competition from Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.

It shouldn’t be like that, should it?

Absolutely not. Sancho was held in high esteem at Manchester City’s academy and the club were disappointed to lose him as he opted for a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Some questioned whether the move was wise, suggesting he should have stayed to work under Pep Guardiola like Phil Foden did. but it seemed to be paying off. Sancho had four extremely successful years in Germany and developed into an established international. He appeared ready for the 2021 move, but things just didn’t go to plan.

What happens next?

Having aired his grievances publicly the way he did, it’s unlikely he’ll be back on the United States’ side any time soon. He would have to work out his differences with the manager and then convince him he was playing well enough to be selected. This could take some time. There have been suggestions that a Saudi Arabian club could offer an immediate exit, however no firm interest has been reported. There could be a few quiet months ahead.