Man Utd: Ferdinand pinpoints reason why Sancho flopped as key factor ‘drew in’ Chelsea
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has explained why he thinks Jadon Sancho’s £73m move to the Premier League giants “didn’t work”.
Sancho failed to live up to expectations following his £73m move to Man Utd from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in 2021.
The Englishman was sent back to Dortmund on loan last season after falling out with Man Utd head coach Erik ten Hag, but he returned to the Premier League giants at the start of the summer.
The 24-year-old featured heavily for Man Utd during pre-season, but he was not involved in their opening two Premier League games of the 2024/25 campaign and joined Chelsea on deadline day.
Sancho has joined the Blues on loan with an obligation to buy and it’s been reported that he made a ‘sacrifice’ to seal this move.
Explaining his move to Stamford Bridge, Sancho revealed Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca “drew him to the project”.
“I think it’s the manager who really drew me to the project,” Sancho said.
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“I knew him from his time with Pep Guardiola in Manchester City. He spoke to me on the phone about this project and what he was building here, and for a young player like myself it’s exciting and I can’t wait to get started.
“They’re signing me for a reason and to contribute to the team, and I’m ready to do that.
“I enjoy his style of play. The wingers when they get on the ball, he loves them to go one versus one and be direct. We play a lot of one-twos with the 10s and the striker combination plays. It’s very attractive and it’s a style that I play.”
Man Utd legend Ferdinand claims Sancho’s move to Old Trafford was never likely to be successful as the style was never a fit.
“I just look at it and think – wow, what went wrong? This is a chapter in his career that I think he will want to forget,” Ferdinand said on his FIVE YouTube channel.
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“Let’s go through why we think it didn’t work for him at Manchester United. One – I think the playing style of the team, I don’t think, ever suited him. Big transitions, Man United became a transition team and I don’t think that’s the way Jadon Sancho sees or plays football.
“I think when recruiting him, we were recruiting him thinking that our style would evolve into a team that dominates possession. If we would pressure we would pressure high and the team would stay high and play intricate one-two passes.
“He’s more of a footballer. I think the idea that Jadon Sancho was going to come in and dribble from the edge of our box all the way to the other team’s box, like other wingers, that’s not what he has ever been about.
“If you play to his strengths and the team is built to suit him, then I think we would have got a different Jadon Sancho. I don’t think the style ever fit in the end.”
