Jadon Sancho has an uncertain future with Chelsea being able to pay a fine to avoid their obligation of securing a permanent transfer from Manchester United this summer
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has revealed any decision over the future of Jadon Sancho will only come after the UEFA Conference League final. The Blues coach was steadfast in his belief that the club's focus should remain on finding success against Real Betis.
Maresca has included Sancho in his squad to take on the Spanish side in Wroclaw, as he bids to earn the club's first trophy since the Club World Cup title in 2022. The winger has scored one goal and produced five assists in the competition en route to the final.
Sancho joined Chelsea on loan at the start of the season from Manchester United. The deal included the condition that the club would be obligated to make the deal permanent for £25million should they finish higher than 14th in the division.
The loanee celebrated the west London side's Champions League qualification after victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Sancho may not get to enjoy that journey however, with Chelsea having the opportunity to renege on his signing.
Maresca's side can pay a £5m penalty to see Sancho return to Old Trafford this summer. And the Italian coach was uncertain whether the match against Betis could be the former Borussia Dortmund star's last game for Chelsea.
"I don't know," Maresca said. "I said that when in the last weeks you asked me about different players, I always said the same. And the reason why is because it's the truth.
"It's not the moment, we have tomorrow the final. Then in 24 hours, 48 hours, we're going to start to talk about the future. But at this moment, there is not any thought or any decision made on Jadon or any different players."
Maresca hopes that his side can continue their positive end to the season. Chelsea have been favourites to win the Conference League since the start of the season and the head coach wants to instill a winning mentality in his squad with victory over Betis.
"The Conference is important," he said. "For us it's been important since day one. And the reason why is because it's the competition that we are in. We cannot play Champions League if we are in the Conference. Or we cannot play Europa. We are in the Conference. So for us it was the most important competition.
"And we need to try to win that. If we are able to win, I think it's a good thing. Especially because we continue to build the winner mentality. Like I said many times, to build a winning mentality there is only one way. You cannot build a winner mentality if you don't win games. I think we won many games this season. But it's not enough.
"Sunday game is finished. We qualified. We are all happy. But tomorrow we need to show again the desire to win the title and to win the game."