As Manchester United supporters call on the club to drop some huge fees on players once again this summer, they might be best served to reflect on how such moves have worked out for them in the recent past.
United have not been shy with the cheque book over the few years, sanctioning some of the biggest deals in world football in terms of transfer fees paid. However, few of them have had the desired result. The likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Maguire, and Fred failed to live up to expectations after moving to Old Trafford.
Jadon Sancho is dangerously close to joining that list.
Signing from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of around £75million in the summer of 2021, the Englishman has massively underwhelmed so far. Whereas he was a consistent creative force in the Bundesliga, the only consistency he has provided in the Premier League has been his repeated habit of failing to perform when called upon.
His debut season was a disaster, with Erik ten Hag allowing him to spend some time away from the group earlier this season in an effort to recoup and rediscover his form. Despite this, he never really got back on track and would finish the campaign with seven goals and three assists in all competitions.
His anonymous display in yesterday's FA Cup final summed up his season as a whole.
That is not the type of return you would expect from such a sizeable investment, and with ten Hag looking to build a team in his own image, there has been some speculation that Manchester United could cut their losses on the Englishman.
Jadon Sancho linked with move away from Manchester United
According to TEAMtalk, Borussia Dortmund hold some real interest in bringing Jadon Sancho back to the club this summer.
The 23-year old was a huge success during his first stint in Germany, establishing himself as one of the most sought after young talents in European football. His career has regressed since leaving the club and he could be tempted into making a return to his former side in a bid to get back to his best.
This type of signing would break the mould of what we have to expect from Dortmund in the transfer market, although they are likely to have some cash to play with ahead of Jude Bellingham's rumoured £120million move to Real Madrid. You would also imagine that any potential fee would be significantly less than the one they accepted for his services just under two years ago.
If Manchester United do decide to sell the player this summer, you would imagine that a number of other clubs will also be interested. However, it is thought Dortmund are the most keen at this point.
If Erik ten Hag wants to make more significant additions in the months ahead, the sale of a player such as Sancho could be required to fund such moves.
SEE ALSO: Paul McGrath Names The Five Players Manchester United Need To Sell This Summer
