For many United fans, 23-year-old Jadon Sancho is yet to show enough quality on a consistent basis in a red shirt, despite appearing in more than 20 Premier League games in two seasons so far. The England international has only 14 goal contributions in that time, way below expectations from a player that cost £73million.
Even despite that price tag, Sancho could be second-choice behind a number of other forwards in the United lineup next season, and one player in particular who will be rivalling him is Alejandro Garnacho. After only spending a couple of years in Manchester United’s academy, during which he scored twice in their FA Youth Cup Final win, he made his first senior start in the Europa League and scored vital Premier League goals last season.
But now, United fans are calling for the teenager, who has a contract with the club until 2028, to be starting more regularly after a breakthrough season. And that’s not to say that Garnacho doesn’t have anything to learn, because he certainly does, but Sancho will have to be looking over his shoulder.
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With an especially poor season, Sancho could even face being sold after just three terms of his contract with performances still disappointing, and because he’s still young with potential, United should be able to get a good proportion of their investment back to make a sale worthwhile amid a rebuild.
An indication that Sancho will have to prove he deserves a spot in Erik ten Hag’s plans next season is displayed by his inclusion in the squad travelling to Oslo this week. Most of the players flying to Norway for today’s game won’t have much hope of being regular starters next season, with a few exceptions, but Sancho is included as the only forward with notable experience in the squad.
It could suggest that Ten Hag is having a closer look at the English winger being previously undecided about his future in this United team. And Garnacho is not the only forward-thinking player that could edge Sancho out of the starting 11 on a regular basis.
United now have plenty of options in those forward positions, including the likes of Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Anthony. Add Rasmus Hojlund into the mix along with any other future signings, and the pre-season stakes are raised for Sancho that extra notch.
However, statistics from the previous season show that maybe this decision won’t be straightforward for Erik ten Hag. Sancho did score less, but with three times more key passes and a better completion rate per 90 minutes, he still showed his value at the club, although some may circle back to the price tag, saying it’s still not enough considering how much money was paid.
It all means that - starting against Leeds - Sancho must begin to show his true worth to Ten Hag and United, or he might end up giving the club an unpalatable decision to make on his future.
