Jadon Sancho has enjoyed as positive a start to his loan spell as he could’ve hoped for.
Boasting three assists in his first three Chelsea appearances, the 24-year-old has looked somewhat reminiscent of the version of himself that captivated Manchester United many moons ago.
The Red Devils pursued Sancho for two years, and, despite Borussia Dortmund’s unrelenting desire to keep him in 2020, they grew resigned to losing him the following year, sanctioning the winger’s exit for a remarkable £73 million fee.
Perhaps the price tag added increased pressure on his shoulders to perform, but Sancho never really lived up to the fee in a red shirt. Fans can count on one hand the amount of thoroughly, notably impressive performances he put in during his United tenure, making it no surprise that he eventually fell out of favour behind the likes of Alejandro Garnacho.
His infamous relationship breakdown with Erik ten Hag was seemingly the final straw – despite him returning to Carrington in the summer for pre-season training. The Englishman was dropped for the opening two matches of the campaign before sealing his deadline-day move to Stamford Bridge, and he’s since hit the ground running under Enzo Maresca.
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Weighing in on Sancho’s perplexing situation, former Three Lions international Darren Bent told talkSPORT: “Sancho’s smiling, happy in his surroundings.”
In fairness, he’s already put his case forward to cement a place on the left flank. As long as he’s receiving regular starts, it’ll presumably stay amicable for him and his new manager.