Jadon Sancho is set to return to Manchester United this summer, but former England midfielder Danny Murphy believes Chelsea should have done everything possible to keep him
Danny Murphy has suggested that Chelsea should have retained Jadon Sancho rather than paying a £5million penalty to return him to Manchester United. The former England player had been on loan at Stamford Bridge for the season, but failed to perform consistently as he scored five goals and provided 10 assists in 42 matches across all competitions.
Despite helping Chelsea win the UEFA Conference League during his temporary stint, he only started 19 Premier League games and was not a regular starter under Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
Regardless of that, it was reported that the club were in talks to extend his stay in London but failed to agree personal terms with the winger.
This led to the club paying a £5m penalty to Manchester United to avoid their obligation to sign him on a permanent deal for £25m.
Sancho has just one year remaining on the five-year contract he signed when he joined United in 2021 for £73m, and is set to return to Old Trafford and is likely to be on the move again, with the star not in the plans of boss Ruben Amorim.
The future of the 25-year-old remains uncertain, but talkSPORT pundit Murphy believes Chelsea should have clinched a deal to keep the winger.
Alongside Jim White and Simon Jordan on talkSPORT, the trio discussed Sancho’s future with the former Crystal Palace owner criticised the winger for failing to perform consistently since his move to Manchester.
He also implied that Sancho is more concerned about remaining a high earner instead of reviving his international career, given he hasn’t been in an England shirt since 2021.
“I’d like to think people evolve, young players especially, you have to give them time to make mistakes,” Murphy said in response to Jordan’s criticism. “But I actually think he’s done alright for Chelsea this season when I’ve seen him.
“His technical ability is brilliant. [He] very rarely gives the ball away, now end product is a question mark. He’s played in a lot of big games, and that’s because he’s reliable with the ball and he knows his job.”
Discussing Sancho’s transfer fee, Murphy conceded that the £73m fee paid for him by United might be seen as steep, yet defended Sancho’s value at a lesser sum: “He’s a bright footballer.
“He turned up at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, when he was 20 and because they paid a huge amount for him which was inflated, he was expected to hit [the ground running]. I think Jadon Sancho for £25million is really good value.”
Upon the announcement of his departure from the Blues, Sancho expressed gratitude towards everyone at Chelsea on social media, posting on Instagram: “Grateful for the experience.
“Big love to everyone at Chelsea who made me feel at home – teammates, staff and the fans. Wishing the club all the best moving forward. Truly grateful. Thank you, Blues.”
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