Jadon Sancho rejoined Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season on Thursday, less than three years since Manchester United paid £73 million for the England winger.
Sancho had been frozen out at United for most of the season after becoming involved in a public spat with manager Erik ten Hag.
BVB has signed Jadon Sancho on loan until the end of the season ✍️
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 11, 2024
Currently with Manchester United, the loan contract runs until June 30th, 2024 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/j5At2fKx50
The 23-year-old posted on social media in September that he had been made a "scapegoat" at the club for poor performances after being left out of the matchday squad for a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Sancho has not played a minute for the Red Devils since and been forced to train away from the first team.
Even prior to the breakdown of his relationship with the former Ajax boss, Sancho never lived up to his price tag at Old Trafford.
He scored just 12 times in 82 appearances and struggled to hold down a regular first-team place under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag.
But he will hope a return to the club where he made his name as one of Europe's rising stars can rejuvenate his career.
"Jadon is an absolute difference maker and I'm looking forward to seeing him back in black and yellow soon," said Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Sancho’s back, tell a friend 🎤 pic.twitter.com/g1LAgkMi3Y
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 11, 2024
"He knows this city, the stadium, our fans and our club. Even though he hasn't played any competitive games in the past few months, we are sure that he will quickly settle back in with us, get into top form and use his qualities to help us achieve our goals for the season."
German media reports the deal will cost Dortmund roughly four million euros and that Sancho has agreed to take a significant cut to his reported £300,000-a-week wages.
Homecoming
After joining from the Manchester City academy aged just 17, Sancho scored 50 goals and provided 64 assists in 137 appearances during his first spell at Dortmund, helping them to win the 2021 German Cup and 2019 German Super Cup.
"When I came into the dressing room today, it felt like 'coming home'. I know the club inside out, I've always been very close with the fans here, and I there was no break in contact with those in charge," said Sancho.
"I can't wait to see my teammates again, go out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, assist goals, score goals and help achieve Champions League qualification."
Dortmund are betting on Sancho rediscovering his form of old to help turn their season around.
They sit fifth in the Bundesliga, six points adrift of the Champions League places after a run of just one win in eight games prior to the German season shutting down for its winter break.
But Dortmund did win the toughest group in the Champions League, knocking out AC Milan and Newcastle to progress to the last 16, where they will face PSV Eindhoven.
United are also hoping that Sancho can show why they splashed out on him to attract a bidding war for his services come the summer.
Ten Hag has been criticised for his failure to reconcile their differences and get the best out of one of his star names as United have struggled during his second campaign in charge.
The English giants have lost 14 times in 29 games this season to crash out of European competition, the League Cup and slip to eighth in the Premier League table.
An upturn in fortunes could even revive Sancho's chances of appearing for his country in Germany later this year at Euro 2024.
He was part of the England squad that reached the final of the last European Championship in 2021, missing one of the crucial spot-kicks in a penalty shootout defeat to Italy.
But the last of Sancho's 23 international caps came in October 2021.
AFP