Jadon Sancho has only two options for the remainder of the season, after he posted a tweet hitting out at Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.
That's according to former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand, who has told Sancho that he either leaves the club for Saudi Arabia, or he accepts not being in the squad for the remainder of the season.
On Sunday evening, Sancho took to Twitter to dismiss Ten Hag's post-match claims that he had been left out of the matchday squad against Arsenal due to not training well during the week.
At his press conference after the 3-1 defeat, the Dutchman said of Sancho that "on his performance in training, he was not selected. You have to reach a level at Manchester United every day and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected."
Jadon Sancho fires back at Ten Hag
Sancho then replied with the following statement which countered Ten Hag's version of events:
"Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week."
"I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into, I've been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!
"All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge.
"I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!"
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) September 3, 2023
Rio Ferdinand reacts to Jadon Sancho tweet
Speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand struggled to see a way back for Sancho and feels that it will be hard for the England international to play for Man United again this season.
"There's no way Jadon's putting out a statement like that if he hasn't, in his own eyes, performed well.
"That's the difference. On his chart, Jadon - 'I've trained alright' - but the manager might have a certain standard.
"There are only two ways that this ends right now. There's only one window open and that's Saudi. Or you're on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season."
Is there a way back for Sancho after tonight’s statement?https://t.co/admQIWh9De#MUFC https://t.co/jENiP9wh9R pic.twitter.com/T6CevAgf7N
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) September 4, 2023
Relationship breakdown
The situation is a sorry one for Man United fans, who remember Ten Hag giving Sancho some time to deal with personal issues for a large portion of last season.
In February, as the winger prepared to come on for his return against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, the pair were seeing smiling together as Ten Hag offered some final words of encouragement on the touchline
"We see that smile and hopefully he can keep that smile," said the manager after that game, and with Sancho showing flashes of good form over the subsequent months, it seemed like he was ready to kick on this season.
However, something has clearly happened between then and now, and the relationship between manager and player looks like a difficult one to repair.
