Jadon Sancho is described as “open” to joining Borussia Dortmund for the third time in his career, once his Manchester United contract expires this summer.
Sancho, signed to a five-year deal from Dortmund in 2021, is currently on loan at Aston Villa. But there is very little expectation of a return to Old Trafford as he faces the increasing reality of becoming a free agent at the end of June.
The former England winger was of interest to Dortmund last summer but was ultimately considered too much of an expense for the Bundesliga team. He wound up joining Aston Villa, having spent 2024–25 on loan with Chelsea, but has primarily been a backup player this season.
Dortmund is the only club where Sancho has truly thrived in his career—he had a breakout spell there between the ages of 17 and 21, before later impressing during a short-term loan as the club unexpectedly reached the Champions League final in 2024.
Jadon Sancho Career Stats
| Season | Club | Appearances (Starts) | Goals & Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Borussia Dortmund | 12 (7) | 1G, 4A |
| 2018–19 | Borussia Dortmund | 43 (31) | 13G, 20A |
| 2019–20 | Borussia Dortmund | 44 (36) | 20G, 20A |
| 2020–21 | Borussia Dortmund | 38 (34) | 16G, 20A |
| 2021–22 | Man Utd | 38 (27) | 5G, 3A |
| 2022–23 | Man Utd | 41 (29) | 7G, 3A |
| 2023–24 | Man Utd | 3 (0) | - |
| 2023–24 | Borussia Dortmund | 24 (18) | 3G, 3A |
| 2024–25 | Man Utd | 1 (0) | - |
| 2024–25 | Chelsea | 41 (26) | 5G, 10A |
| 2025–26* | Aston Villa | 33 (17) | 1G, 3A |
*Season ongoing
Sky Sport Germany reports that Sancho has “communicated his willingness” to play for Dortmund once more. As long as a contract can be agreed, his impending free agent status promises to make it a much less complicated transfer process than it otherwise could have been.
In talks that have already taken place, “specific financial details” have been discussed, with Sancho also making it known his preference for Dortmund over a “multitude” of alternative options.
At his best during his first Dortmund spell, from 2017–21, Sancho was a prolific scorer and assister from either flank. Once billed as the most exciting talent in world soccer, his time with United got off to the worst possible start after being hospitalized with an ear infection. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who’d wanted him since 2019, was also fired soon afterwards and Sancho spectacularly fell out with eventual permanent successor Erik ten Hag.
Even now, the south London-born winger is only 26 years of age and has time on his side. But he desperately needs a career reset after several frustrating seasons.
Clubs Jadon Sancho Could Join
Borussia Dortmund is the obvious choice, given Sancho’s history with the club that stretches back almost a decade and a reported willingness to go there above anywhere else.
The aforementioned Sky Germany report notes that manager Niko Kovač is already on board, but it will be for managing director Lars Ricken and sporting director Ole Book to decide if bringing Sancho back again makes sense.
Staying at Aston Villa is not off the table. Manager Unai Emery spoke positively about the idea when it was raised at a press conference in February. But any continuation will hinge on both Sancho agreeing to a contract and an assessment of how well he has grown into Villa’s system.
“Hopefully he can help us by increasing his qualities in our structure like he is doing,” Emery said at the time. “He will need another contract, and maybe it could be here. If he plays his best football, we will want him. But other teams could also be involved in the interest for him.”
Türikye is often a destination for players struggling to find their place in Europe’s top five leagues, putting Galatasaray or Fenerbahçe on the list of possibilities. But Turkish soccer for foreign imports is often sink or swim and didn’t do much for the careers of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Dele Alli.
Napoli, linked with Sancho last summer, have turned Scott McTominay into a relative superstar and is a club that has targeted players leaving Premier League clubs in recent years. AC Milan has a similar vibe, with Fikayo Tomori a particular success story in that respect.
A left-field destination and a massive gamble, would be a Watford homecoming. Sancho joined the academy there at the age of seven, was later housed by the club to eliminate a challenging commute across London, and remained until he was poached by Manchester City at 14. The Hornets have been out of the Premier League since 2022 and it would certainly be an ambitious move. However, it couldn’t be a financial choice, while the EFL Championship is a notoriously tough division.
A similar kind of idea would be Tottenham Hotspur, should the club be relegated. There is an expectation that Spurs, as has been the case when Newcastle United have twice dropped out of the Premier League this century, would have only a brief stay. Although there would be more money available at Watford, it would be a move on Sancho’s part driven by sporting reasons.
Any notion that Sancho could join an elite club like Real Madrid, Liverpool or Barcelona, despite all being in need of additions at wide forward, seems fanciful.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Eight Potential Destinations for Jadon Sancho After Man Utd Exit.
