Manchester United Director of Football Dan Ashworth has lifted the lid on the deadline-day move which saw Jadon Sancho end his ill-fated Old Trafford spell following a summer of speculation.
The tricky winger joined Chelsea on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy next summer for a fee between £20-£25 million depending on the Blues' Premier League finish.
The move brings an end to a three-year spell at Old Trafford which failed to ever live up to the lofty expectations brought about by the initial £73 million price tag.
Sancho's Manchester United exit explained
Sancho's exit appeared set in stone following a very public fallout with manager Erik ten Hag last season after the manager questioned the forward's performance levels in training, leading to exile from the first team squad.
It did, however, appear Sancho would be forced to remain in the northwest for the upcoming season after frontrunners Juventus ruled themselves out of the race just hours before the deadline, only for Chelsea to make a late swoop.
Sancho was part of a mass clearout under the new Ineos regime, with incoming Director of football Dan Ashworth overseeing the most profitable window in the club's history.
When asked about the summer of departures and Sancho in particular, Ashworth told Sky Sports: "I think with any player, whether it’s Jadon, whether it’s Scott [McTominay] or whether it’s Aaron, if there’s a preference that they would like to move and go to a new club and it’s right for them and it’s right for us, then you have to explore it.
"We felt we had enough depth in that particular position to be able to cover it, we’ve got four really good wide players, Jadon was a fifth, and it just enabled us to make that decision.
"If it was good for him and good for us it was something we were willing to consider."
Ashworth joined the Red Devils' background staff this summer after helping Newcastle United rebuild from relegation battlers to European qualification under Eddie Howe.
Bough in alongside Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, both formerly of Manchester City, it is hoped that the new footballing structure will help the red half of Manchester establish themselves as a dominant force once more.
More Manchester United stories
Alan Shearer responds to calls for boxing fight with Roy Keane
Erik ten Hag admits he didn’t want Manchester United transfer to happen
Manchester United confirm academy graduate has left, in big-money move to Europe
