Jadon Sancho offered a warm goodbye to his Chelsea teammates, staff and fans after returning to Manchester United, although multiple reports claim he won’t be hanging around at Old Trafford for long.
Chelsea paid a £5 million ($6.8 million) penalty to avoid making Sancho’s loan spell permanent for a sum in the region of £25 million ($33.8 million), sending the mercurial winger back to United.
Hours after news of Chelsea’s cut-throat decision broke, Sancho confirmed his exit with a social media post. “Grateful for the experience,” the England international wrote above a compilation of his best moments for Chelsea.
“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.”
The Blues had been negotiating a new contract with Sancho yet could find no resolution. ESPN report that Chelsea had offered the 25-year-old a “significant pay-cut” to a salary thought to be in the region of £300,000 ($406,000) per week.
United are still obligated to pay Sancho that swollen sum for another 12 months before his contract expires in June 2026. However, Fabrizio Romano claims that it is “clear” Sancho won’t spend the 2025–26 season playing at Old Trafford.
The fleet-footed forward has a number of potential options. Few clubs can afford his salary demands, but United may compromise by striking another loan deal while supplementing some of his wage—which was the initial agreement with Chelsea.
A return to the Bundesliga has been regularly floated, particularly since his former employers Borussia Dortmund qualified for the Champions League and thereby secured extra funds which could lubricate negotiations.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jadon Sancho Sends Touching Message to Chelsea Fans, Man Utd Plan ‘Clear’.