Jadon Sancho has said he is looking forward to play with “a smile on his face” after joining Borussia Dortmund on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season. The 23-year-old has been banished from the United first team since publicly hitting out at the manager, Erik ten Hag, after not being included in the squad for the loss at Arsenal in September.
The Bundesliga club are set to pay a loan fee of €4m (£3.4m) and part of Sancho’s salary. The winger, who spent four seasons with Dortmund from 2017 before joining United, said: “When I walked into the changing room today, it felt like coming home. 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 teammates 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.”
The BVB sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, said: “Jadon is an absolute difference-maker and I’m looking forward to seeing him in black and yellow again soon. 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.”
Dortmund have had an up-and-down season, winning a difficult Champions League group containing Paris St-Germain, Newcastle and Milan, but falling behind Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. They are fifth, 15 points behind the leaders, Leverkusen. The Bundesliga restarts on Friday and Dortmund face Darmstadt away on Saturday.
