Jurgen Klopp took a dig at Erik ten Hag as he criticised the Dutchman for his treatment of Jadon Sancho, who has joined Chelsea on loan.
Jadon Sancho joined Manchester United in a big deal after a few good seasons at Borussia Dortmund, but he has failed to live up to expectations. Coming into Old Trafford, any player would feel the pressure, but there are questions about whether the winger had the full support of the club after a difficult period.
Sancho never got into his element after that big move to Old Trafford. There’s a case for Erik ten Hag, who did help the forward get over some background issues as he also gave him a break during the 2022-23 campaign. However, at the start of last season, the pair had a fallout which never was repaired despite reports sstating the contrary.
The 24-year-old Manchester United star joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January and ended up reaching the Champions League Final. Come the summer, reports insisted Sancho and Ten Hag had resolved their differences and that the club could re-integrate him into their plans.
Sancho has since joined Chelsea on a loan deal that will be turned permanent next summer, as the Blues have an obligation to buy the winger. Hence, this is the end of the road for the 24-year-old Manchester United loanee and his Old Trafford career, as he will look to build something new at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp has now taken a dig at Ten Hag over his treatment of Sancho. The former Reds boss feels that considering the significant investment, Manchester United should have had more patience to help the player develop, as the German’s comments on The Telegraph suggest he disapproves of the club’s treatment of Sancho.
Klopp said, “If the whole world loses trust and faith in the player, the manager has to be the one behind the player. I cannot just buy into that ‘he’s useless,’ like other clubs did by the way—buying a player for £80 million and then sending him out on loan!”
Klopp does have a big point here, as Manchester United did have room to help Sancho be part of their squad for the coming season. Considering how much they brought him for, the Red Devils are about to get less than a third of what they paid for the winger, which effectively makes the deal look bad from the financial point of view.
Moreover, they do not have the required depth in the wide areas to ensure they have a stable season both in the Premier League and Europe. Antony has been underperforming and is currently not favoured by Ten Hag, while there are significant doubts about Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo’s levels. More importantly, Marcus Rashford is also underperforming, meaning Sancho could have had a place in this squad.