Sancho's Man Utd career at risk for no apology - sources

Posted Tuesday, October 10, 2023 by ESPN

Jadon Sancho is running out of time to apologise to Erik ten Hag and there is a growing feeling at Manchester United that his career at Old Trafford might already be over, sources have told ESPN.

Sancho is yet to apologise after publicly claiming Ten Hag lied about the reasons he was dropped ahead of the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sept. 3.

Ten Hag has asked the 23-year-old apologies in private and with a public statement but, so far, he has been reluctant to do so.

A source has told ESPN that suggestions Sancho offered an apology in the immediate aftermath of the incident but that it was not accepted, are wide of the mark.

Ten Hag, according to a source close to the situation, has not completely closed the door on the possibility that Sancho could be reintegrated into the squad but there is acceptance around the club that an apology received now -- more than a month after his social media post -- would not have the same impact as one received during initial talks with Ten Hag following the game at Arsenal.

Sancho remains on an individual training programme at United's Carrington training base and has little interaction with his senior teammates.

On Saturday, he watched the under-18 team at Carrington while the first team arrived at Old Trafford ahead of their 2-1 win over Brentford.

Sancho, who signed in a £73 million ($89m) deal from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, is under contract until at least 2026 and there are concerns at the club about the financial hit that would likely be necessary in order to facilitate his departure if it was decided he should leave in January.

His market value has dropped significantly after two largely disappointing seasons at United and very fews clubs in the world would be able to match his wage, which is more than £300k-a-week.

A source has told ESPN that Sancho's England teammates including Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw have urged Sancho to apologise and begin working his way back into the team.

However, there are concerns that the situation is having an affect on the dressing and a resolution either way needs to be found sooner rather than later.