Rio Ferdinand concerned over Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Erik ten Hag has ’embarrassed’ Jadon Sancho and has questioned whether the Manchester United manager understood the risk in publicly criticising the winger.

Sancho is currently training away from the first team after he hit back at Ten Hag’s criticism of his training levels. Ten Hag opted to make his unhappiness with Sancho known after United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium when the winger did not even travel with the squad to north London.

It remains unclear when Sancho, who went on to delete his response to Ten Hag, will return to first-team training and Ferdinand is concerned there is now no way back for the 23-year-old, who joined United in a £73 million deal from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

Ferdinand questions Ten Hag’s approach

“To be thrown out of the squad, what’s gone on? Is it a personal thing between the manager and player? Or is he genuinely not training the way he wants him to train?” Ferdinand said on Vibe with Five.

“He’s exhausted every avenue to try to get the best out of Jadon Sancho. I think Jadon would say and agree he hasn’t lived up to the hype yet and the fee.

“The manager has gone, ‘this is my last chance’, I can’t get anything else out of him so I’ll make it public and see if that public embarrassment and his pride gets pressed enough where he goes, ‘I’m not having this’, and, ‘I’m coming back with a performance’.

“He did it to Rashford. He was the talisman at the time, he was where we were getting all of our goal, he was on fire, at the top of his game, and the manager said for being late, which a lot of people would say, ‘oh, it’s only a meeting’, get on the bench. In terms of ego and pride and then more pressure, you’re thinking, ‘hold on a minute, I’m the man here’. The noise would’ve been so loud after that game [if United lost], it worked out for him.

“I just think there have been players asked questions publicly or subliminally – Wan-Bissaka, for instance, he’s come back from almost the dead – I think the manager going public with Jadon was a big call and I think did the manager understand the risk with that?”

Sancho’s future at Manchester United

It remains to be seen what will happen with Jadon Sancho and his future at Manchester United. Rio Ferdinand has expressed his concern over the situation and believes that Erik ten Hag may not have understood the risk with publicly criticising Sancho.

The 23-year-old winger has yet to live up to his £73 million price tag since joining United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. Ten Hag’s approach may have been an attempt to motivate Sancho, but it could have serious repercussions for both parties if it backfires.

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