Why Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return is perfect for all parties

"It's a good day," Jadon Sancho said, mostly to himself, as he leant back in his chair after officially rejoining Borussia Dortmund on loan in January. "A good day."

Two-and-a-half years after leaving the Bundesliga for an ill-fated spell at Manchester United, Sancho's return to the Ruhr region has been hailed as a move with no downsides. In Italy, they like to say that reheated soup never tastes as good. Clearly, the message does not translate to Germany.

Sancho's last senior match of 2023 came in August before he was left out of United's squad for a trip to Arsenal at the start of the new season. A public airing of dirty laundry followed as Sancho strongly refuted Erik ten Hag's criticism of his efforts in training, earning an exile from the senior setup until the January transfer window offered a merciful exit.

It's little wonder that Sancho is pleased to have extricated himself from the grim situation at Old Trafford, and, truth be told, it's exactly what United need as well. Here are the reasons for all parties to be thrilled with his return to Borussia.

Home comforts

During his four-month exile at Manchester United, Sancho was banned from all first-team facilities. While the club's one-star food hygiene rating suggests he wasn't missing out on trips to the canteen, Sancho had to train on academy pitches. When getting changed in the adjacent dressing rooms, the 23-year-old was forced to lock the door so that no underage player accidentally walked in and broke safeguarding protocols.

The scene was remarkably different upon his return to Dortmund's dressing room. The likes of Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham may have gone but there were plenty of familiar faces to envelope Sancho in a squall of hugs and high-fives.

Sancho has made a point of stressing how comfortable he is at Dortmund, repeatedly describing the club that he joined at 17 as "home to me". "Making my debut here in professional football," Sancho gushed, "it's always been a dream for me, so I'm happy to be back. Can't wait to get started."

It wasn't always sunshine and smiles for Sancho at Dortmund. Rumours of his disciplinary problems have bubbled away for years, with an Independent report in November 2019 describing a tense scene of "war in all directions" after Sancho’s repeated lateness wore thin. Yet, it still represents a marked improvement from his isolation at Old Trafford.

Forgiving manager

Sancho has had eight different managers at senior level. Borussia Dortmund's incumbent, Edin Terzic, has been able to coax more end-product out of the fleet-footed forward than any other coach.

During the pair's shared time together at the end of the 2020/21 season, Sancho averaged a goal or assist every 74 minutes. For comparison, Sancho directly contributed to a goal every 254 minutes under Ten Hag at United.

While the quality of opponents should be taken into consideration, the wildly contrasting man-management styles of each individual may well have also played a role.

Ten Hag is an unashamed disciplinarian - and a bit of a control freak. During pre-season for the 2023/24 campaign, Ten Hag was behind an email sent out to every United player with the dress code for that day, including which coloured socks to wear.

Terzic, by contrast, tasked coaches with following Sancho to counteract his innate lack of punctuality and ensure that all was well with the team's star. While Ten Hag made sure what Sancho wore, Terzic was there to help him put on any clothes he wanted.

Dortmund's main man

Sancho needed an escape route to Dortmund but Dortmund need the Sancho that they sold for £73m. Last season's Bundesliga runners-up had not won a game in any competition since November going into the winter break.

Terzic's side topped the toughest group in this season's Champions League but that only underscores their issue. Against teams that are prepared to attack - such as Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United - Dortmund could exploit the space left in transition. Only three clubs in the group stage launched more direct attacks than BVB. However, the Ruhr outfit have struggled up against packed low blocks domestically.

Dortmund have lost just three league games this season - only the division’s runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich have suffered fewer defeats. However, they have too often been held to draws in matches where a bit of extra cunning or craft may have tipped the balance.

A staggering 29% of Dortmund’s xG this season has been generated from set pieces (per Opta). Only three clubs in the division have been more reliant upon dead balls than Dortmund. Across Sancho's final three seasons in Germany, only Bayern's Thomas Muller created more chances from open play.

Coming back to a club he knows and loves, with the backing of a manager he trusts and at a time when the team desperately need him, Sancho may have been underplaying his satisfaction when he only hailed his return as a "good" day.

Man Utd can focus on extinguishing other fires

It's not just Sancho who has needed an environment change.

Yes, Ten Hag may be looked as one of the key problems in this particular dispute, but there's no doubt that the 'will he stay, won't he stay' questions about Sancho, coupled with the club's ownership saga - and the endless amount of chat surrounding investment - have affected on-field performances.

As far as United are concerned, having these two major issues addressed is a win-win. Sancho can now get back to doing what he does best, hopefully, and can ensure that he maintains some kind of market value and desirability. That puts United in a strong position when the time comes to sell. Alternatively, Sancho can marvel once more at Dortmund and prove to United that one final attempt at reintegration is worth exploring.

United can also look forward and address their tactical deficiencies, attempt to re-energise their push for a top-four finish (difficult to see at this stage but there's got to be ambition) and begin to change the negative narrative that has engulfed the club for as long as anyone can remember.

READ MORE ABOUT THE 2024 JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW