Jadon Sancho has revealed that walking back into Borussia Dortmund’s dressing room “felt like coming home”.
The 23-year-old endured a frustrating four months on the sidelines at Manchester United, having been ostracised from the first team by Erik ten Hag, and sealed a loan return to Dortmund on Thursday.
Sancho left BVB to join United in the summer of 2021 – the Red Devils agreed to pay up to £73m for his services – but he has failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford. Signed primarily to become then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first choice right winger, he quickly found himself fighting Marcus Rashford for a place on the left – the role he’d been successfully playing at Dortmund.
Indeed, Sancho was twice named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season, with his contribution of 114 goals and assists in all competitions evidence of his importance to the Black and Yellow, and he was starting to become a prominent player for Gareth Southgate’s England.
Sancho now has the opportunity to get his career back on track in familiar surroundings, and the winger revealed to Dortmund’s club media channels exactly what returning to the club means to him.
“When I walked into the changing room today, it felt like ‘coming home’,” Sancho said.
“I know the club inside out, I’ve always been very close to the fans here and I’ve never lost contact with the people in charge. I can’t wait to see my team-mates again, get out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, get assists, score goals and help the club qualify for the Champions League.”
Sancho has officially rejoined Borussia Dortmund on loan until the end of the season…
Will we see him perform to levels he reached previously in Germany? 💛 pic.twitter.com/oty3pxqFsH
— 90min (@90min_Football) January 11, 2024
Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl added that Sancho “is an absolute different maker” and backed him to find form quickly despite his four-month absence from first team duty.
“Jadon is an absolute difference maker and I’m looking forward to seeing him in Black & Yellow again soon,” he said. “He knows this city, Signal Iduna Park, our fans and our club. Even though he hasn’t played any competitive games in recent months, we’re sure that he’ll quickly settle back in with us, find his best form and help us to achieve our season objectives with his qualities.”
Sancho could feature in Dortmund’s Bundesliga clash with Darmstadt on January 13, where he will be tasked with helping Edin Terzic’s side get back into contention for a top-three finish. BVB have not been at their best this season, winning just one of their last five games prior to the winter break, and are they are currently fifth in the table, 15 points behind surprise leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
As for United, they are hoping to usher in a new era with British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in charge of football operations. New signings may need to wait though, with the current priority relieving Ten Hag’s squad of players who are no longer required.
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