Former Man Utd midfielder Paul Ince has suggested that Jadon Sancho needs to be convinced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the right man to guide the next stage of his career amid transfer speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford.
Sancho, 20, has enjoyed a stellar spell with Dortmund in recent years, scoring 31 goals and providing 42 assists in 90 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.
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However, speculation has been rife over his future with the Metro report below noting that his price-tag is over £100m while Man Utd have been heavily paired with a swoop for the England international.
It’s a crucial next move for Sancho for many reasons if he leaves Dortmund, as he’ll want to kick on in his career and take his own individual game to the next level to emerge as one of the top players in Europe, while also looking to join a club capable of winning major trophies in the years ahead.
While Man Utd appear to be moving in the right direction in terms of the latter objective as they looked particularly strong prior to the season being suspended, Ince believes that Sancho needs to be certain that Solskjaer can help him develop and improve as a player and there isn’t much evidence as of yet that he can do that.
“When it comes to transfers, it’s not just about the team, it’s about the manager. Sometimes as a player, it’s about looking at a team’s manager and coaching staff and whether they’d take you to that next level. That’s a decision Sancho will need to make,” Ince is quoted as saying by the Metro.
“Can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer? We don’t know that, whatsoever. We have no clue what he’s like at developing a player of that magnitude. He’s clearly trying to develop a young team, so that will help, but in terms of actually the man to man management and development of someone like Sancho, he’s a total unknown.
“Firstly, he’s not been at United long enough to know that, but also because in his previous jobs he’s not had players like that at his disposable. Ole’s not at that yet, it doesn’t mean he can’t do that, but we’ve not had that proof yet. What I’m saying is, Sancho needs to consider all of those factors, culture, environment, team and ultimately the manager.”
It’s arguably a fair comment from Ince, and something that Sancho may well already be considering. Solskjaer has made a point of assembling a younger squad and he has helped a number of players show signs of improvement under his stewardship, but Sancho is potentially one of the leading stars of football in the making.
With that in mind, there will be big responsibility and expectation on his next manager to help him fulfil his potential. Whether or not that influences his decision if he leaves Dortmund remains to be seen…