'Madness' - Ten Hag slammed for Jadon Sancho treatment

Daniel Cabot Kerkdijk

• Updated: 26 Jan 2024 08:28 GMT
• 3 min read

Sven Mislintat has questioned Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag for his public bust-up with Jadon Sancho.

Sancho, 23, joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January after being frozen out of the Man Utd squad in September following a well-reported falling out with Ten Hag.

The former England international spent four seasons in Germany during his first spell at Dortmund and has returned to the club in search of regular game time.

Mislintat was the person responsible for bringing Sancho from Manchester City to Dortmund in the summer of 2017 and he was surprised by how his time at Man Utd paned out.

"He is a great boy and a player who can make a difference in the Bundesliga. If you can attract a player like Sancho, you should do it immediately," Mislintat emphasized in the Sky Deutschland studio on Thursday evening. "There's no doubt about that. It's great for the competition."

The 23-year-old English international will spend the rest of the season on loan at Dortmund, who paid €4 million euros for a six-month loan deal with no option to buy.

Jadon Sancho's failed Man Utd transfer

Sancho openly criticised Ten Hag earlier this season after he was dropped from Man Utd's matchday squad for poor effort levels in training and he refused to apologise for his actions.

He was forced to train with the club's U23 side and Mislintat is surprised by the state of affairs at United. "It fascinates me in a negative way that Manchester United has not been able to get this player started. That Ten Hag was not able to get in with him is really madness in my opinion," said Ajax's former director of football affairs, who regretted his premature departure from the Eredivisie club.

Mislintat argues that Sancho could have been an important pillar for Man Utd. "His qualities could certainly have helped Manchester United further. I am incredibly happy for him and for Dortmund."

Sancho has now played two games for Dortmund during his second spell and provided an assist in each. He scored 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 appearances during his first stint at the Bundesliga club, while he has only managed 12 goals and six assists for Man Utd.

His contract at Old Trafford runs until mid-2026 and according to FootballTransfers' algorithm, his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €31.6m. However, at his peak, Sancho was worth €108.7m.