Rio Ferdinand has conceded that Jadon Sancho's inability to replicate his stunning Bundesliga form at Manchester United is "concerning" - just weeks after praising the winger's output.
United pursued Sancho extensively during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure and finally acquired the 22-year-old's services in a £73million deal last summer. But since moving to the Premier League, Sancho has been unable to recapture the form that saw him evolve into one of Europe's most coveted players.
Sancho was prolific during his time in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, where he notched 54 goals and 67 assists across four years. Compared to those figures, his returns since joining Manchester United (8G, 3A) have been disappointing.
After a challenging first year at Old Trafford, Sancho had shown glimpses of a return to form during the opening weeks of the new season - something that had enthused Ferdinand.
Speaking last month, he told his FIVE YouTube channel: "What's clicking [this season] is that he's getting goals. He's getting in these areas [around the penalty area], which I like. You want your wingers to be going in here and getting goals. That's an area where I'd have been definitely demanding of him. Also, assists."
But Ferdinand is now worried about the wide man, who struggled in last week's Europa League win over Nicosia Omonia and did not feature in the 2-1 win over Everton just days later.
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Speaking on his latest Vibe with FIVE YouTube show, Ferdinand said: "I haven't seen [his Bundesliga form] yet. That's the concerning thing for me.
"If I'm Jadon Sancho, or in Jadon Sancho's camp, I am looking at ways in which I can unpick his game, his mind, to unearth the Sancho that made him a coveted talent around Europe. His numbers in Germany were great, he was doing marvellous things over there, but it hasn't transferred over to the Premier League yet.
"And I don't know why. What is the reason why? Is it because of the way the team set up? Is it because of the pace of the Premier League? Is he getting asked to do more defensively so then he hasn't got the energy when they've got [the ball] in transition?
"His assists and goal record isn't great when you compare it to other players in his position. So you allow him that time to adapt to this league – he's had a season of that – and after pre-season, I was thinking, 'Okay, yeah, this looks like we've got the Sancho we've bought from Dortmund.'"
Ferdinand outlined that Sancho has already shown that he is capable of scoring goals this term following strikes against Liverpool and Leicester City, the "highlight reel" of skills he churned out on a weekly basis in Germany has been absent. But again, Ferdinand stressed that Sancho's focus needs to be on increasing his output.
He added: "If he gets the goals and gets the assists and affects the game in that area, and if he can get himself between the posts more often then not, when he's in there he's shown already he's a calm finisher. He's a cool, calm and collected finisher.
"But I just want to see the Sancho that I was going crazy about and demanding that he come on during the Euros because I haven't seen that."
