Jadon Sancho Returns to Man United: Did Chelsea Truly Pay a £5M Penalty?

• Jadon Sancho spent the 2023/2024 season on loan at Chelsea after falling off it with Erik ten Hag
• He was crucial for Enzo Maresca's side and scored the third goal in the Conference League final
• He will return to United after his loan, and reports claimed that Chelsea will pay £5m for not signing him

Jadon Sancho spent the 2024/2025 season on loan at Chelsea from Manchester United after months in exile following his fallout with former manager Erik ten Hag.

Sancho called out Ten Hag on social media in September 2023 when the manager questioned his work ethic after United lost 3-1 to Arsenal in the Premier League.

The beef lingered on for months before the English winger returned to his former club Borussia Dortmund on loan, reaching the UEFA Champions League final.

The Dutch manager was still in charge at the start of the 2024/25 season, forcing Sancho to seek an exit, eventually choosing to join Chelsea on a season-long loan.

His move to Chelsea had an obligation to buy for £25 million if Chelsea finished in the top half of the Premier League table, or a penalty of £5 million if they did not sign him permanently.

Did Chelsea pay penalty for Sancho?

Chelsea began negotiations with Sancho over fresh terms after the Conference League final to make his loan move permanent. The Blues are unwilling to match the £350,000 per week he earns at Manchester United amid a strict wage structure at Stamford Bridge.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported today that the versatile winger will return to Old Trafford after both parties failed to reach an agreement, and Chelsea paid £5mil to United.

The general belief among fans was that the fee was a penalty for removing the obligation to buy in Sancho's loan deal, however, it has been clarified.

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the £5mil paid to send him back to Old Trafford was not seen as a penalty, but instead a loan fee, which Chelsea did not pay initially.

The Blues consider it similar to the fee which they received from Aston Villa and Juventus for the loan deals of defenders Axel Disasi and Renata Veiga.

The club insiders believed that paying £5mil for the season-long loan of a player who scored five goals and provided 10 assists to help them make the top four and win a trophy is good business.

His departure will prompt the club sign another winger, because Mykhailo Mudryk’s substance suspension yet to be lifted. Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Kittens are top of the list. Nico Williams is also among the names considered.

Sancho aimed a dig at Man United

Legit.ng previously reported that Sancho aimed a dig at Manchester United after delivering a man-of-the-match performance on his Chelsea debut against Bournemouth.

Sancho came on as a second-half substitute and provided the match-winning assist for Christopher Nkunku to win all three points at the Vitality Stadium.

Source: Legit.ng