A few months ago, Borussia Dortmund viewed Jadon Sancho's problems at Manchester United with distant interest.
If there was some sadness at his failure to live up to his great talent, it was balanced by no small sense of relief. The Westphalians had gotten maximum value (€85m; £74m; $93m) for a player who could be inconsistent and had long-standing issues with punctuality. Fulfilling his potential was no longer her problem.
Senior club members spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity to protect their positions and dismissed rumors of the 23-year-old's return to Signal Iduna Park this winter as fanciful just a few weeks ago. “That won’t happen,” one of them said flatly.
Why then is there this sudden change of heart that leaves Sancho likely to return this month?
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One reason is Dortmund's weak end to the calendar year. They failed to win any of their six games in all competitions in December and fell to fifth in the table, six points behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig and 15 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
At a pre-Christmas summit of those responsible, it was decided that the ailing Edin Terzic would remain in office, but it was considered necessary to bring back former players Nuri Sahin and Sven Bender as assistant coaches in order to provide new ideas (and the club easier to make). Terzic sacked if performances continue to be disappointing).
The bosses concluded that something else was needed beforehand. Dortmund wingers Donyell Malen (who could leave this month as the club would be willing to sell him even before Sancho became an option), Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens have collectively performed below expectations, totaling 10 goals in 25 games achieved. Furthermore, they proved particularly ineffective in slower possession games, where Sancho used to shine. His return signals an attempt to make the team less dependent on counter-attacks and encourage a more dominant, controlled game plan.
To do this, however, Sancho has to play at a level that he has not been able to achieve since leaving Dortmund in the summer of 2021. After a six-month break, is he still hungry and willing to work? Dortmund are confident that the former England international will take advantage of the chance to rehabilitate in familiar surroundings, even if his fitness level may only allow substitute appearances in the first few weeks.
The key player in all of this could well be Terzic, who has already shown he can get the best out of the striker. When the 41-year-old was appointed interim coach in December 2020, he instructed some staff members to pay special attention to Sancho and ensure that he was not late for meetings, and also ensured that the player had as much time as possible Possibly took the opportunity to be in close proximity to Erling Haaland in the hope that the Norwegian's professionalism would rub off.
His form and fitness have certainly improved greatly over the last six months, which led to him playing a key role in Dortmund's DFB Cup victory (4-1 against Leipzig) in Berlin.
Haaland and Sancho showed good form in Dortmund (Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
There is great excitement in the Dortmund dressing room about Sancho's imminent return, with the fond memories of his varied influence during his three-and-a-half years at the club far outweighing any concerns about the occasional loss of discipline. He would play alongside many familiar faces, although Haaland and Jude Bellingham, two of the stars of the team he was previously a part of, have of course moved on.
Most importantly, from the German perspective, his planned loan move involves minimal risk. Club sources have told The Athletic that Sancho's heavily subsidized signing will cost them just €3 million in total between now and May, a negligible sum that effectively makes him a one-sided bet.
Dortmund are unlikely to benefit directly if Sancho's value rises after a successful stint in the Bundesliga; His wages and United's fee demands make a return to full-time work unlikely. But if he helps them beat Peter Bosz's PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League round of 16 and/or makes the difference in Dortmund's qualification for next year's competition, he will be worth that effort many times over.
(Top photo: Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images)