Jadon Sancho spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Chelsea. He divided the opinion of the fans. At times, he looked decent, especially early on. But then, there were also times when it was easy to see why it had not worked out for him at Manchester United. Perhaps the English game is not the right fit for him. Maybe he is lacking confidence. Probably it is a combination of both.
Regardless, Chelsea did not take up the chance to sign him permanently for a £25 million fee. Instead, they paid a £5 million penalty to send him back to Manchester United.
How often do you see that? A club paying that sort of a fee just to send a player back to his parent team. It is certainly a rarity.
But it is not like Chelsea had no interest in continuing with Sancho. The reason for his return to Manchester United might be different.
Real reason Chelsea didn't sign Jadon Sancho permanently
While speaking on The Athletic's YouTube channel, David Ornstein said that Chelsea could not agree on personal terms with Sancho. Therefore, they paid the £5 million penalty that nullified the loan with an obligation to buy from Manchester United.
It looks like Chelsea have already moved on and made an offer to sign Jamie Gittens. It was turned down by Borussia Dortmund and it is believed that the Blues are now preparing a second bid.
Of course, Chelsea fans will be wary of signing players from the Bundesliga, having seen plenty of them fail to meet expectations after coming to the Premier League. Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Sancho come to mind immediately. All three did significantly in Germany than Gittens has so far, with the English winger losing his place in the Borussia Dortmund starting XI towards the end of last season.