Jadon Sancho's loan move is nearing completion as he seeks playing time after being exiled from Manchester United's first team, his relationship with manager Erik ten Hag seemingly beyond repair.
The 2023/24 campaign was thought to have been a season in which Sancho could excel under Ten Hag but that hope expired just three Premier League games into the new season when he was left out of the squad that travelled to Arsenal in September.
Asked to explain Sancho's absence, Ten Hag said the 23-year-old's training performances were not to the standard he expected. Following that post-match comment from his manager, Sancho took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to post a statement saying that those words were untrue.
United later said in a statement: "Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue."
He has yet to return to the first team and has not played a single minute of action since, forcing both himself and the club to look at alternative options for his career. Former club Borussia Dortmund have come calling.
MORE: Man United January transfer window news 2024
When will Jadon Sancho play for Borussia Dortmund?
With the January transfer window now open, Sancho can escape from the shackles placed on him at Old Trafford.
The Bundesliga is currently enjoying its winter break and there hasn't been any action since December 19. Dortmund do, however, have a mini pre-season in Marbella ahead of the league returning.
As part of their training, BVB will face SV Darmstadt on January 13 in what could be Sancho's first match back at the German side, with a deal rapidly nearing completion.
The latest update on the deal has come from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who says the player is "waiting for the green light".
🟡⚫️ Jadon Sancho’s travel to Marbella to join BVB camp is being prepared — as final details are being discussed with Man United.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
It’s about final steps of the negotiation but fee will be around €4m between loan & salary coverage.
Sancho, waiting for green light to travel ✈️ pic.twitter.com/cKngkGk6i4
What happened to Jadon Sancho at Man United?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge when Sancho was signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million ($92.8m) in June 2021, having actively pursued the England international's signature for more than 18 months.
Sancho joined in the same transfer window as Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane. Solskjaer was sacked three months later and Sancho managed only eight goal contributions in his debut season.
In October 2022, Sancho missed United training and matches for around three months.
He was granted time away from the club due to "physical and mental" issues according to Ten Hag. Sancho was then sent to the Netherlands to train alone with coaches appointed by the United manager.
Ten Hag reintegrated him into the side in February 2023 and Sancho scored against Leeds United in his first game back in the Premier League. The forward was included in almost every squad for the rest of the season but was primarily a substitute. His 2022/23 campaign saw him score seven goals across his 41 appearances.
Fast forward to the pre-season tour of 2023 and it looked as though United might finally have the player they thought they had signed from Dortmund.
Sancho looked sharp and it even appeared as though he may have had a new role in the starting XI when he scored a superb goal against Arsenal in New York.
Thank You New York! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OAxDXpy5s3
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) July 23, 2023
Then came the Arsenal fixture in September which derailed his season and has thwarted any progress he and United fans hoped he would make.
Despite his expected move to Dortmund being a six-month loan, many feel his United career may be finished. That looks like a credible prospect so long as Ten Hag remains in charge.