When speculation was building of Jadon Sancho potentially joining Manchester United, one former Liverpool star predicted that it could be the wrong decision for his future
An ex-Liverpool star's prediction of Jadon Sancho's future has proven to be scarily accurate, as he urged the England star not to join Manchester United.
Glen Johnson, the former right-back for Liverpool, said back in 2020 that Sancho should "avoid rushing" into making decisions for his future and should wait to join a different team in the Premier League. Before any transfer was completed, Johnson claimed that United would be the "wrong decision" for his future, and that Liverpool or Chelsea may be a better fit.
Speaking to talkSPORT at the time, Johnson said: "Pretty much everyone that can afford his transfer fee are going to want him, so he can take his time to choose his next club. But I think it would be the wrong decision to sign for Man United.
"If he goes to a team like United at the moment, of course it’s a fantastic club and it would look great on his CV. But the team are not where they should be, and I think as a young kid they would put too much pressure on him from day one.
"A young lad like that shouldn’t have to fly the flag for a club like United. I think he’d feel the pressure coming to the Premier League anywhere, so to carry that with him as well would be tough.
"Marcus Rashford is flying the flag for them now and his body is feeling the punishment. With young kids you’ve got to be careful because some of them are still growing.
"If he was to go to Chelsea or Liverpool or maybe a club in Spain, because he won’t be needed to come straight in and impress, they would bleed him into the team over time which would help his development. He might not be guaranteed to start every week, but he’d be doing it in the right way.
"Whereas if he went to United, yes he’d start every week, but the team are struggling so it would be hard for him to find his feet." This prediction proved to be frighteningly accurate after Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan in January following a dispute with the United manager Erik Ten Hag.
Sancho was omitted from the United squad back in 2023, and Ten Hag spoke of his absence at the time: "Because of his performance in training, we didn't select him. You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United."
In a now-deleted social media post, Sancho hit back and said: "I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue. I have conducted myself very well in training this week.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.Learn more
England Euro 2024 kit
"I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into. I've been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn't fair."
This back-and-forth silenced Sancho who, despite pleas from his team-mates, did not apologise for his actions and was eventually shipped off to Dortmund for the rest of the season where he rediscovered his best form and helped them reach the Champions League final – narrowly losing 2-0 to Real Madrid at Wembley after a bright first half.
The Mirror reported earlier this week that the young English winger will choose to return to Manchester to play his football if Ten Hag is relieved of his duties as head coach of United. The Dutchman is currently awaiting his own fate after the club began their in-depth review of his performances before they decide to stick or twist.
Sancho joined United from Dortmund for £73m in 2021 but this deal is yet to prove successful for both parties – meaning that the star may head out on loan once again should no club want to fork out cash for his services and Ten Hag stays.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
