Jadon Sancho’s summer loan move from Manchester United to Chelsea was supposed to mark a fresh start for the English winger after a tumultuous spell at Old Trafford. His fallout with Erik ten Hag over training standards, coupled with inconsistent performances, saw him banished from the first-team setup.
In three years at United, Sancho made 83 appearances, scoring just 13 goals—a stark contrast to the form that once made him one of Europe’s most sought-after talents.
His move to Chelsea, which includes a buy option at the end of the season, hasn’t drastically changed the narrative. In 21 appearances, he has managed just two goals and five assists, with questions over his attitude and inconsistency continuing to loom.
While at Chelsea, Sancho once again showed some of these underlying issues while taking a dig at parent club Manchester United, which didn’t sit well with fans or reporters such as Samuel Luckhurst.
Sancho finds himself as the centre of attention after leaving a comment under Marcus Rashford’s Instagram post, which marked Rashford’s debut for Aston Villa.
The single-word comment—”Freedom,” accompanied by praying and celebratory emojis—suggested relief at being away from United. Given the already strained relationship between the club and the player, this remark was seen as unnecessary and disrespectful
Marcus Rashford himself has had troubled times with United over the last few months, more so since the arrival of Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim.
Amorim has gone through multiple matchday squads without Rashford in them, citing the Englishman now showing his 100% in training in terms of effort and attitude rather than any personal issues.
Samuel Luckhurst, the Chief Manchester United writer for the Manchester Evening News, didn’t hold back in his assessment of Sancho’s situation. He took aim at the winger’s attitude and inconsistency, delivering a stinging critique: “Sancho only thrives in the comfort zone,” he said.
Adding to this, he spoke about how the inconsistencies have continued in blue: “Sancho’s in-game vanishing acts are continuing in blue., referring to their FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton where Sancho was replaced by the 19-year-old Tyrique George
Luckhurst further pointed out that despite United still paying part of Sancho’s wages, the player had the audacity to take a swipe at the club. It’s also interesting to note that Sancho and Ronaldo are represented by the same PR, the latter also had a crash out with the club in the recent past.
But the journo’s best quote was perhaps this – “Self awareness continues to be one of Jadon Sancho’s glaring weaknesses”.
Manchester United Twitter, which is often divided on club matters, was largely united in agreement with Luckhurst’s critique. “That brother is spitting knowledge,” said one user while another fan added, “Fairs. Luckhurst cooked here.”
Luckhurst went as far as saying “Self awareness continues to be Jadon Sancho’s glaring weakness,” which has become an iconic quote on football twitter, fans reposting it with fire GIF’s and all sorts.
Even fans who aren’t particularly fond of Luckhurst acknowledged that his words struck a chord. “Icl I don’t like the guy but he cooked here,” said one fan in agreement, while another added, “When the guy you hate makes a good point.”
Sancho’s freedom comment may have been a throwaway remark, but it was enough to further alienate him from United fans, and a return to Old Trafford now seems bleak.
