Man Utd's 2020 promise to Jadon Sancho shows just how far £73m signing has fallen

Manchester United's desire to land the signature of Jadon Sancho was once so strong, the transfer saga spanned across multiple windows.

Back in 2020, it looked as if the deal could be done, with the Red Devils desperate to get their hands on what was at that point one of the most in-demand young talents on the continent. However, what was then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United didn't have an overwhelming amount of assurances that they could make to Sancho.

Their status as a Champions League club for the following campaign looked uncertain, while there were doubts as to whether Solskjaer's side would be lifting a trophy anytime soon. As a result, United had to think differently as to what they could offer Sancho, at this time with Borussia Dortmund, to tempt him into setting up shop at Old Traffford long-term.

So what Solskjaer and co. opted to promise Sancho that they would build the squad around him, making the ex-Man City academy star the focal point of their team. A deal didn't materialise that summer, with United failing to meet Dortmund's asking price.

However, 12 months down the line, they finally got their man. United forked out £73million to bring Sancho over from the Signal Iduna Park in the summer of 2021 and hopes were sky high that this marquee signing would be what kickstarts a new, trophy-laden era.

Instead, less than two-and-a-half years into his five-year deal Sancho finds himself back at Dortmund on loan. This is due to a dramatic fall-out with current United boss Erik ten Hag, Solskjaer's permanent successor.

It stemmed from Sancho being left out of the United side for the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal back in September. Asked why, Ten Hag made clear that the wide-forward was omitted from the match-day squad due to poor performances in training.

What followed all but ended Sancho's United career. The England international took to social media to state in response, implying that Ten Hag was lying while encouraging his millions of followers to not believe everything they read.

As a result, the United boss exiled Sancho from the first-team fold entirely. That meant not only was he not allowed to train with his team-mates, but was even blocked from having lunch with them at the club's Carrington training ground complex.

Sancho has not donned a United shirt since late August and now finds himself back with the Bundesliga giants. Hopes are high that he can revive a career that has undoubtedly declined, but whether he ever returns to Old Trafford is another story altogether.