Former Manchester United star Steve Bruce has weighed in on the possibility of Jadon Sancho making a comeback at Old Trafford next season.
Sancho left United for a six-month stint at Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window following a turbulent two-and-a-half years. Initially brought in by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Dortmund in summer 2021, the young England international, who started his career at Manchester City, struggled to find his footing back in Manchester.
His relationship with current United boss Erik Ten Hag soured, leading to public spats via social media and press conferences, culminating in his temporary move back to the Bundesliga club. During his time at United, Sancho clocked up 58 appearances and netted nine goals, but his tenure was marred by highs and lows, primarily due to ongoing tensions with Ten Hag.
Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this year, Ten Hag said about Sancho: "He's now at Dortmund. So after he was signed, one year before [I was here], and there were issues. We have had issues all the way through, and so you can make out his stay at Manchester United so far is not a success."
The saga surrounding Jadon Sancho's situation at Manchester United continues to rumble on with Old Trafford legend Steve Bruce offering his two cents on the matter (via the MEN ), and it doesn't look good for the English player. Speaking exclusively to Betway, Bruce expressed: "I would doubt it if the manager's going to stay. I think he's made his stance on it clear, when you let somebody out the door, unless there's a coming together with the pair of them then that's that."
Sancho seems to be loving life back in Dortmund and has played a key role in Edin Terzic's squad's journey to the Champions League final, something Bruce noticed. With a string of cracking performances under his belt, including an awe-inspiring performance against PSG in the semi-finals, the former Hull city boss added: "He's played very, very well by all accounts."
Bruce added: "It's fair to say also that we didn't see the best of him at United for one reason or another. But they didn't seem to be able to fix it when the kid was at United, for whatever reason. He's gone away to Dortmund and got to a Champions League final, so fair play to him."
Bruce, who lifted 12 trophies during his time at Old Trafford including three Premier Leagues, reckons that this conflict between Sancho and ten Hag is down to a personality clash and once a manager makes a decision, that's it. The former Toon boss conceded: "There seems to be a personality clash between him and the manager. And rightly so, the manager should always win."
Dortmund shelled out a €3.5million loan fee and an additional €4m in add-ons for the England star, but United are set to rake in more cash thanks to Dortmund's progression to the Champions League final against Real Madrid on June 1. Despite Sancho's impressive performances, another ex-United legend has weighed in on the situation.
Rio Ferdinand, former United defender, reckons that Sancho will only return to Manchester if Ten Hag is given his marching orders. Speaking to TNT Sports, he stated: "I think the only way he goes back to Manchester United is if Erik ten Hag isn't there. I don't think they can undermine the manager and let a player not apologise and then bring him back."
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