Why Sancho's Man Utd place is now under threat

Cameron Smith

• 29 Nov 2022 15:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Jadon Sancho was left out of England's 26-man squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup and his place in the Manchester United starting XI is now under serious threat.

Despite the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has had his contract at Old Trafford mutually terminated following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Sancho could well find himself down the pecking order after club football returns following the World Cup final, and the close of the January transfer window.

That is due to a number of factors, including the form of a fellow Man Utd attacker and a potential new signing.

READ: Diallo's resurgence has Sancho looking over his shoulder at Man Utd

Sancho, 22, has scored just eight goals and four assists in a total of 52 appearances for the Red Devils since joining from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of €85 million in 2021.

Furthermore, his decline can be quantified by the fact that he's played just 72 minutes for the national team since moving to Old Trafford.

In fact, he was never really considered for a spot in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad, which shows how much his level had dropped since arriving in the Premier League.

READ: Revealed: Sancho’s discipline issue that frustrated England

Why might Sancho lose his place at Man Utd?

10 of his 12 appearances this season for Man Utd have come from the start, so Sancho is clearly favoured by Erik ten Hag, but that may end now.

The Englishman's place has already come under threat thanks to the recent emergence of Alejandro Garnacho in the first team. The Argentine has managed to break into the side of late, with his dynamism on the left-flank providing thrust and quality to the Man Utd side.

Furthermore, Man Utd's pursuit of PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo means that Sancho could be pushed even further down the pecking order. The Dutch star has been used centrally by Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal, but typically operates as a left winger at club level.

Therefore, Sancho's lack of form at Old Trafford could finally catch up with him, and he could well find himself restricted to the sidelines.