Sancho was 'already prepared' for Man Utd switch, says Dortmund CEO

The talented winger’s future was a subject of intense speculation during the summer but he ended up staying put at Westfalenstadion.

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has implied that Jadon Sancho’s dip in form is a byproduct of his long-running transfer saga as the player was “prepared for a change” amid Manchester United links.

Sancho was understood to be the Red Devils’ No.1 transfer target during the previous transfer window.

Bringing in a right-sided attacker was reportedly a priority for Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and the England international, who had 20 goals and as many assists in 44 appearances in 2019-20, perfectly fitted the bill.

After months of negotiation, however, it became clear a deal was not happening. Dortmund were unwilling to reduce their €100 million valuation of their prized asset and United were not prepared to meet those demands amid financial uncertainty.

Sancho has since been unable to maintain his standards, with the winger finding the net just once in 12 Bundesliga appearances this season.

“Subconsciously, Jadon had probably already prepared a little for a change,” Watzke told Kicker. “I think he had at least thought so much about it that he lost his ease. I have found him trying very hard for weeks.”

“The biggest difference is that he used to not think about his next ball action. Now he thinks about it, and the tenth of a second that he misses is often exactly the one in which the opponent is already on his feet.

“The more you try as a creative person, the more difficult it often becomes.”