Jadon Sancho could be replaced at Man Utd by Serge Gnabry
Jadon Sancho’s decision to not back down and apologise to Eric ten Hag over his Manchester United expulsion will likely lead to his January exit, according to a report, with the Red Devils pushing to sign a former Arsenal winger as his replacement.
Sancho has been cut adrift by the Dutchman, who is at loggerheads with the winger for speaking out against him on social media. Tensions between the two reached boiling point earlier this month when Sancho was dropped from the squad that lost 3-1 at Arsenal.
Ten Hag’s reasonining for the 23-year-old’s omission, however, saw Sancho take to X and claim he was being scapegoated by his manager, while also accusing the Dutchman of not being entirely truthful for leaving him out.
Since then, Sancho has been banned from the first-team facilities and has been training alone with Ten Hag administering the strictest of lines with the star.
The row over the player has certainly divided opinion, with three United teammates recently getting involved in Sancho’s dispute with Ten Hag.
However, there are many who feel the player has stepped out of line, with Roy Keane brutally telling him he would be ‘ashamed of my life’ if he were the player.
However, the i claims Sancho believes he is well within his right to stand his ground in the dispute, feeling that he continues to be ‘singled out’ while other stars are given “preferential treatment”.
Indeed, if he were to apologise now and admit his manager was right, he fears it would ‘undermine going public with his views’ and ‘invite similar treatment in the future’.
Jadon Sancho nearing Man Utd exit as January exit talk ramps up
And with Sancho standing his ground, the i reports that insiders at the club fear the relationship cannot be repaired and will likely now lead to his Old Trafford departure in January.
To that end, United are reportedly willing to lose a fair chunk of their original £73m investment to move Sancho on.
“He is a great player, that doesn’t go away, so he will have offers in January if we are where we are now – with first-team football at United a distant dream,” an insider told the i.
“But clubs need to see something that would encourage them to bring him to their club. Talent alone won’t get him a move to another top team.
“We are aware of how this all looks for him, and the longer United leave him in the cold, the lower his appeal drops.”
Concerns over Sancho’s timekeeping and his attitude in general are nothing new, with the player turning up late for Borussia Dortmund training in 2019 and then being fined by the club with his late return from England duty a year later.
Indeed, Sancho has not been called up into any England squad by Gareth Southgate since the autumn of 2021.
Ten Hag, however, continues to stand his ground with the player. And while senior stars have done their best to encourage Sancho to knock on the manager’s door and try and ease the tensions, the feeling among his teammates is described as one of “bewilderment”, given how reconcilable they feel this whole thing is.
Man Utd step up interest in Serge Gnabry as Sancho replacement
With United seemingly planning for life after Sancho, the Daily Mail claims Ten Hag is ready to step up his chase for Serge Gnabry in January as a possible replacement.
The former Arsenal man is regarded as one of the best wingers in the Bundesliga, having moved to Bayern from Werder Bremen in 2017.
Indeed, in his 224 appearances for Bayern, Gnabry has 82 goals and 34 assists, giving him a goal contribution every 1.9 appearances.
His deal at Bayern is not due to expire until 2026, though there is a feeling that a sizeable offer could convince Thomas Tuchel to cash in. Indeed, while Gnabry has already featured six times this season, there is a feeling that the winger’s best days may be behind him and the chance to cash in would present them with one of their last chances to claim big money for the 28-year-old with his value likely to depreciate.
With United needing right-wing cover, especially given Antony’s ongoing absence as he fights allegations of assault, Ten Hag is seemingly ready to make a big push to bring Gnabry back to England.
The winger made just 18 appearances while at Arsenal between 2012 and 2015, but is best remembered for a failed loan spell at West Brom where then-Albion boss Tony Pulis was quick to write the winger off.
However, he has since well and truly underlined his talent in the Bundesliga, where he has also gone on to win 43 caps for Germany.
Ironically, Gnabry’s only goal so far this season came in last week’s 4-3 Champions League win over Man Utd at the Allianz Arena.
The report claims Real Madrid could also look to rival United for his signature.
