The Englishman emerged as one of the most exciting wingers in Europe during his first spell in Germany, but hasn't picked up from where he left off
"When I came into the dressing room today, it felt like coming home," Jadon Sancho told Borussia Dortmund's official website after re-joining the club on loan on January 12. "I know the club inside and out, I've always been very close with the fans here, and I've never lost contact with those in charge. I can't wait to see my team-mates again, go out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, prepare goals, score goals and help qualify for the Champions League."
Manchester United agreed to send Sancho back to Signal Iduna Park until the end of the season off the back of his explosive fall out with Erik ten Hag. The winger hit out at the Dutch head coach on social media after being left out of a Premier League clash with Arsenal in August, and was subsequently exiled from the senior squad at Old Trafford.
Instead of apologising to Ten Hag, Sancho pushed for an exit, and Dortmund seemed like the ideal place for him to get his smile back. But after almost four months and 16 appearances in all competitions for the German giants, Sancho has just three goals to his name, and doesn't look to be anywhere near close to the same level as when he initially left the club to join United for £73 million ($91m) back in 2021.
Sancho hasn't proven Ten Hag wrong or left Red Devils supporters longing for his return, and he's running out of time to change that, though there is still a path to redemption open in the Champions League. The question is: has he still got the fire in his belly?
Getty Images'Not the old Jadon yet'
Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl described Sancho as "an absolute difference-maker" after brokering the loan deal with United, which was certainly true in his first spell at Signal Iduna Park. Sancho hit 50 goals and laid on 57 assists in 137 appearances for BVB between 2017 and 2021, after making the brave decision to leave Manchester City's academy and build a new life in Germany.
He was a deadly weapon for Dortmund during that period, as through a combination of dazzling trickery on the ball and intelligence he was able to carve defences open at will, and more often than not had the end product to match. When United finally secured his signature after nearly two years of negotiations, it felt like a major coup.
But the Old Trafford faithful have yet to see that version of Sancho up close. He's had his moments, the most notable of which saw him score a superb solo goal in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool last season, but he has largely flatted to deceive.
Sancho is a confidence player, and he's seemingly never been operating with a full tank in Manchester. Those struggles haven't gone away since his return to Dortmund either, which is somewhat understandable given he spent the best part of five months training alone after his fall out with Ten Hag.
The former City youth starlet set up a goal on his second debut for Dortmund, but it proved to be a false dawn. Sancho also failed to score in his next seven games in all competitions, and after a particularly ineffective display at Union Berlin, Kehl was forced to change his tune on the winger, as he admitted to : "Jadon isn't the old Jadon yet, but he can't be after two months."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCycle of self-doubt
Sancho finally broke his duck during a visit to Werder Bremen, reminding everyone of the incredible skill he has in his locker with a dazzling run and finish to score what would turn out to be Dortmund's winning goal. He left his marker for dead with a clever piece of footwork and turn of pace before calmly slotting the ball home, which led to an outpouring of relief.
"It felt really good. I stayed positive, even if my performance didn't always show it and I've disappointed some people a bit in recent weeks," Sancho told BVB's official website. "I'm not entirely satisfied with the game in Bremen either; I could've played better and contributed more."
Four days later, Sancho delivered again, putting Dortmund 2-1 up on aggregate in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against PSV with a perfectly placed low shot from just outside the box. And in his most recent Bundesliga outing against RB Leipzig, Sancho produced another magnificent strike from a difficult angle to become the highest-scoring Englishman in the history of the German top-flight.
Only special players are capable of scoring goals of that standard. But in Sancho's case, they just make his lack of overall lack of contribution all the more baffling.
Although Sancho's introspection when it comes to his performance is refreshing, he's not doing enough to change his situation. He's clearly stuck in a cycle of self-doubt, and it remains to be seen whether he can rediscover his passion for the game.
GettyLost fearless edge
Sancho is working hard enough to justify his spot in Edin Terzic's line up, and certainly looks fit enough despite being exiled at United in the first half of the season. The problem is, he's lost the fearless edge that made him so exciting to watch in his younger years.
Dortmund can't rely on Sancho to make the difference in the final third anymore. He's taking no risks in possession, often cutting back inside for a simple pass instead of attacking his marker. And on the rare occasions he does complete a one-on-one take-on, Sancho doesn't have the courage to keep driving forward towards the box, or to play a trickier ball that might just catch the opposition off guard.
“Both I notice and Jadon notices that he is not yet at his absolute best, but that is completely normal for us," Terzic told before Dortmund's 4-1 loss to Leipzig at the weekend. "We knew that. But we see Jadon perform an action in every training session that shows his extraordinary talent. We see how diligent he is with the tasks and how hard he works on them.”
The fact that Sancho is currently unable to translate his training displays to a competitive setting suggests he's put up a mental barrier after his first two years at United. He couldn't deal with the extra scrutiny that comes with playing for one of the world's biggest clubs, which has turned him into a more hesitant player, one who may be consciously trying to be more efficient instead of flashy in order to escape any further criticism.
GettyDortmund in disarray
In Sancho's defence, he swapped one team suffering an identity crisis for another in January. Dortmund have endured a pretty miserable Bundesliga campaign, and after their battering at the hands of Leipzig it will take a miracle for them to make the top-four.
Fortunately, fifth-place will probably still be enough to qualify for the Champions League, with Germany set to earn an extra spot due to their standing as the second-highest ranking nation in UEFA's coefficient table. They may yet gain direct entry by winning the competition regardless after making it through to the semi-finals, where they will come up against Luis Enrique's unpredictable Paris Saint-Germain.
But it's fair to say Dortmund have massively overachieved in Europe, while benefitting from favourable draws against PSV and Atletico Madrid in the first two knockout stages. Terzic admitted his players were "too passive" after a recent draw with Bayer Leverkusen, who have stormed to their first ever Bundesliga crown under Xabi Alonso despite operating on a far lower budget than Dortmund's.
BVB don't want for collective spirit, but they don't have a clear tactical philosophy, which hasn't helped Sancho's cause. They have the tools to pull off a huge Klassiker win over Bayern Munich one week, only to let themselves down with the disjointed performances that underpinned their recent losses to Stuttgart and Leipzig.
There is no toxic atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park, unlike at Old Trafford, but Sancho is still having to shoulder big expectations in a side that doesn't compare to the greats ones of the past, which may be one of the reasons he is still struggling to express himself freely on the pitch.