Sancho 'in regular contact with Dortmund boss Terzic over a return in January'

Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho has reportedly been in 'regular contact' with Borussia Dortmund about making a return to the club in January.

Sancho is currently being kept away from the first team as he continues his stand-off with United boss Erik ten Hag amid his refusal to apologise for his public comments against his manager.

The £73million winger was exiled from United training after claiming on social media that he had been a 'scapegoat' and effectively calling Ten Hag a liar following defeat at Arsenal.

He has reportedly been barred from using senior squad facilities including the dining room.

Sancho, who joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, has made just three sub appearances for United this season, but has not featured in the squad since his outburst.

And according to Sky Germany, the England international is plotting a move back to his former club amid conversations with Dortmund boss Edin Terzic about a return.

Reports last month suggested that Dortmund are stalling over making a move to re-sign Sancho from Manchester United due to concerns about his discipline.

Bild reported that Dortmund have reservations about bringing him back to the club as they are worried about his off-field activities dating back to his previous spell in Germany.

Their primary concern is they feel Sancho does not get enough sleep at night due to playing video games and being on his computer late at night.

Sancho also turned up to training late regularly - a worry that has also been raised at United - and he has been known to fly off in a private for a day or two at a time.

The report states Sancho's discipline was often discussed behind the scenes at Dortmund, and senior figures at the club fear his return could unsettle the current squad.

Another potential stumbling block for a deal concerns the fee involved.

United do not want to send Sancho out on loan, preferring a permanent sale instead, and have set their asking price at £52m (€60m).

This is beyond Dortmund's budget, with the club expected to have limited funds this winter after spending big in the summer on Marcel Sabitzer, Niklas Fullkrug and Felix Nmecha.

If they do follow up on their interest in Sancho, it appears they will need to reach a compromise with United to get a deal over the line.

The stand-off began following Man United's defeat against Arsenal when Ten Hag said 'Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him,' after being asked why Sancho had not been selected for the fixture.

Sancho was furious with Ten Hag's comments and took to social media to say: 'Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people to say things that are 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 the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and I am grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!'

Ten Hag refused to discuss Sancho's future following Man United's 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, saying he will never talk about players 'who are not available'.

It was put to Ten Hag that reports claimed excessive gaming sessions on his Xbox, resulting in limited sleep, is damaging Sancho's career, which Ten Hag was quick to shut down any questions about Sancho.

'I don't talk about personal issues and I don't talk about players who are not available,' he said swiftly, before concluding his press conference.