Timeline of what went wrong for Jadon Sancho at Man Utd

It didn't take long for Jadon Sancho to show how happy he was with his Borussia Dortmund return.

Whether it's the rather symbolic badge kiss, the return of those pearly whites, or the re-establishment of his connection with Marco Reus; a litany of sequences have manifested a spritely Sancho amid his homecoming.

It was Sancho's majestic first spell in Dortmund that had many tipping him for superstardom. A major move to one of Europe's financial behemoths developed into an inevitability as his stellar form persisted in front of the Yellow Wall.

The winger's time in Germany evolved the Manchester City academy graduate into Manchester United's next great hope. Following a two-summers long transfer saga, the Red Devils eventually splurged £73m to bring the England international to Old Trafford, but less than three years on from that inevitable move, Sancho has been welcomed back by the comforting arms of the Bundesliga's bridesmaid.

Here's how United's fourth-most expensive player of all-time went from superstar to first-team canteen ban in Manchester.

August 2022 - Delayed start to United career

While much of the discourse surrounding Sancho's demise at Man Utd involves a certain Erik ten Hag, the winger's time at the club was troubled from the outset.

Despite his move being confirmed on 23 July 2021, Sancho didn't start training with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side until 7 August - a week before the Premier League season began - as a result of a nasty ear infection. His arrival was then overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning return (which could've worked in Sancho's favour), and the winger was used off the bench in United's first two league games.

22 November 2021 - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer departs

Solskjaer was sacked a month before Christmas after overseeing an indifferent start to the season. Sancho was integrated into the starting lineup on Matchday 3, but he failed to notch a single goal contribution while the Norwegian was in charge.

Despite returning to his homeland, the winger had struggles adapting to the frenetic beast that is the Premier League. Many believe more could've been done to help Sancho settle, with Solskjaer's tactical inadequacies ensuring the best of Sancho wasn't seen at the start of his United career.

April 2022 - Debut season ends prematurely

Sancho's debut campaign at the Theatre of Dreams was one of utter dysfunction. After Solskjaer departed, the winger briefly impressed under interim boss Michael Carrick and was given plenty of opportunities to shine during Ralf Rangnick's ill-fated reign.

The Austrian took to Sancho, deploying him as a #10 and in his favoured left-wing position. However, Sancho's return that season was measly. The Englishman notched just six Premier League goal contributions before tonsillitis cut his season short in late April. Prior to Sancho's illness, a reported meeting led by Ronaldo called for Rangnick to switch to a two-striker system - a move that would've likely seen Sancho dropped.

October 2022 - First signs of trouble with Erik ten Hag

There was initial promise for Sancho under Ten Hag. The wide man is said to have impressed Ten Hag during the Dutchman's first pre-season before he got on the scoresheet against Liverpool which helped the new manager to his maiden win after a woeful opening two weeks to the 2022/23 campaign.

However, the start of Ten Hag's tenure would prove to be a fleeting false dawn. There was a notable demise in performance levels after the September international break, and his 52-minute cameo against Chelsea on 22 October 2022 would prove to be his last Premier League appearance for over three months.

13 December 2022 - "A combination" of issues

With Ten Hag concerned about Sancho's dip in form and the player not included in England's 2022 World Cup squad, the winger was sent to train with trusted coaches in the Netherlands while his teammates enjoyed a warm-weather training camp in Spain.

It was during that training camp when Ten Hag said the winger needed to work on "a combination of physical but also mental” issues. His exclusion from the training camp was seen by many as a disciplinary move with Sancho performing poorly in training and turning up late on several occasions.

3 September 2023 - Matchday squad omission leads to spat

Sancho would return to action in February 2023, enduring a rather forgettable end to the season. However, the positive pre-season that ensued meant there were few warning signs in regards to the complete breakdown in relations between player and manager at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

The winger made substitute appearances in United's first three Premier League games before he was left out of the travelling squad for a trip to Arsenal on September.

Ten Hag once again cited poor performances in training as the primary reason for his absence, an explanation Sancho didn't take too kindly to. “Please don’t believe everything you read!" Sancho later posted on Twitter. "I will not allow people saying things that is 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!”

14 September 2023 - Man Utd's statement

Ten Hag and Sancho attempted to settle their differences in the wake of United's defeat at the Emirates. The pair met during the September international break where Ten Hag showed Sancho videos of their training sessions heading into the Arsenal game.

The Dutchman attempted to get his point across, and although Sancho continued to disagree, he did delete the aforementioned tweet. However, their meetings failed to end with a resolution as the player refused to apologise to his boss.

Thus, on 14 September, United released a statement which confirmed that Sancho would “remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue”.

11 January 2024 - Sancho completes Dortmund return

Sancho hasn't featured for United since he was left out of the matchday squad against Arsenal, and a January loan away is reported to have been a part of the club's pre-agreed ‘transfers plan’ with the incoming Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Sancho's former club weren't initially in the picture, but a dire run of form before Christmas convinced them to change their minds. The winger's hefty wage among other factors rendered a permanent move unlikely, but BVB did secure Sancho's homecoming on an initial six-month loan.

“When I came into the dressing room today, it felt like ‘coming home’,” Sancho said after re-joining the German giants. “I know the club inside and out, I’ve always been very close with the fans here, and I’ve never lost contact with those in charge. I can’t wait to see my teammates again, go out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, prepare goals, score goals and help qualify for the Champions League.”

An assist on his second debut would suggest Sancho is primed for a Bundesliga resurgence, and no matter how well he performs during the second half of 2023/24, a return to United seems impossible while Ten Hag is at the helm.

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