Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals the 'unlucky' reason for Jadon Sancho's early struggles at Man Utd that saw £73m star hospitalised

In a candid conversation on The Overlap, Solskjaer has revealed exactly how rough the winger’s start truly was.

"We wanted to take the next step, not move away from what we had, but add something different in the final third," Solskjaer began while reasoning the big-money move for Sancho.

"We wanted players who could break teams down, and Jadon, with his skill, link-up play, and little passes around the box, gave us that. He was unlucky through. Before he joined, he went on holiday, as you do, and ended up getting an ear infection. He was in the hospital, and really struggled for his first 10 days or so before he could even start training with us. That hasn't previously come out before. I never really got to play with him properly, because by the time he was finding form again, I was already on my way out."

Solskjaer’s departure in November 2021, after losing seven of his final 13 matches, meant Sancho lost the manager who believed in him most before he could settle. And Erik ten Hag’s arrival marked the beginning of Sancho’s most turbulent chapter. Despite making 41 appearances in the Dutch manager’s first full season, the forward soon took a break from the squad due to "physical and mental" concerns at the end of 2022. Ten Hag sent him to train alone in the Netherlands under trusted staff in an attempt to rebuild the winger’s confidence and conditioning. However, the reintegration process failed to bring out the desired results.

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By the start of the next campaign, the fissures had widened into a full-blown conflict. Ten Hag questioned Sancho’s training standards in front of the media and suggested they were not high enough to secure a place in the team. The forward hit back on social media, accusing the manager of making him a "scapegoat" for United's struggles on the pitch. From that moment, the bridge between them all but burned, as Sancho was exiled, banished from first-team training and forced to work away from his teammates.

A return to familiar surroundings at Dortmund initially looked like a rescue. However, the Bundesliga club did not want him on a permanent deal due to his high wages. Then came another loan, this time at Chelsea, where flashes of his old spark resurfaced, but consistency never followed. Now, at just 25, Sancho is on his third consecutive loan, this time at Aston Villa, and the pattern is disturbingly familiar.

Sancho has made only four appearances under Unai Emery and has yet to start a Premier League match. On three separate occasions, he wasn’t even named in the squad. According to Sport Bild, United have already decided that Sancho’s future will not be at Old Trafford. With his contract expiring in 2027, the club are prepared to listen to offers in June to avoid losing him for nothing. Reports in Germany claim he is ready to take a pay cut if it means securing a permanent home and restarting his career at Dortmund. Whereas, according to talkSPORT, the Red Devils are also considering terminating his contract early and setting him free in a bid to get his £200,000-a-week wages off their books.

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