Jadon Sancho must either join a club in Saudi Arabia or spend the rest of the season on the bench – Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Jadon Sancho has two options: either join a club in Saudi Arabia or be prepared to spend the remainder of the season on the bench at Manchester United.
This comes after Sancho was omitted from Erik ten Hag’s lineup in their 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
The uncertainty surrounding Sancho’s future intensified when Ten Hag cited ‘training performance’ as the reason for his absence, a claim that Sancho vehemently denied, asserting that he’s been unfairly blamed.
Ferdinand, a Manchester United legend, observed that this situation appears significant for Sancho.
He also noted that the Saudi Arabian league is one of the few leagues where the transfer window is still open, implying that it could be Sancho’s best chance to secure regular playing time this season, especially considering his hefty £73 million price tag.
Rio Ferdinand on Jadon Sancho
“There’s no way Jadon is putting out a statement like that if he hasn’t in his own eyes performed well,” Ferdinand said on his Rio Presents Five YouTube channel.
“That’s the difference as well. On his chart, Jadon [might think] – ‘I’ve trained alright’, but the manager might have a different standard. There’s two ways this ends. There’s only one window open now and that’s Saudi. Or you’re on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season.”
Manchester United experienced a detrimental defeat in North London, marking their second loss in the first four games of the season. This defeat saw Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial chosen ahead of Jadon Sancho in the starting lineup.
Explaining his reasons for leaving out Sancho, Ten Hag said: “On his performance on training we didn’t select him. You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game, he wasn’t selected.”
Subsequently, Sancho responded on social media, emphasizing that he had consistently conducted himself ‘very well’ in training and expressed his belief that he had been unfairly portrayed as a ‘scapegoat’ for an extended period of time.
“Please don’t believe everything you read!’ he said. ‘I will not allow people to say things that are completely untrue. I have conducted myself in training very well this week.
“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!
“All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and I am grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”
Jadon Sancho must either join a club in Saudi Arabia or spend the rest of the season on the bench – Rio Ferdinand
