JADON SANCHO’s former coach believes the struggling winger could still be a success at Old Trafford.
The 24-year-old wide man, who is currently on loan at Chelsea from Manchester United, was hauled off against Arsenal after an indifferent display.
The Blues have an obligation to buy Sancho for around £25million, should they finish above 15th in the Premier League.
However, recent reports suggest Sancho could find himself back at Old Trafford, if Chelsea pay a ‘penalty fee’ to back out of the deal.
This season, after starting the campaign off well, he has managed just two goals in 28 games.
Premier League player development lead coach Dan Micciche worked with Sancho at U15 and U16 level for England.
He believes a return to Man Utd, who paid Borussia Dortmund £73million for his services in 2021, could benefit Sancho and get him out of his recent slump.
Coach Ruben Amorim is desperate to find an option to play as a left-sided No10 in his preferred 3-4-3 formation, with Alejandro Garnacho struggling to get to grips with the position.
But, in Sancho, the Portuguese boss could have someone suited to play the role.
Micciche told SunSport: “Jadon would have to play as a left-sided No10, I couldn’t see him play as a wing-back.
“Can he play there? Yeah, absolutely. I think he could play for Ruben Amorim in his system.
“It might actually suit him more – in terms of freeing him up.
“He wouldn’t be hugging the touchline as much, he would in middle of the pitch more and would have more options when he gets the ball.”
Sancho is at a career crossroads. After showing some early promise at Stamford Bridge, his Chelsea loan has since turned sour.
The latest example of stalling came in his performance against Arsenal on Sunday, where he was hauled off after 76 minutes following an ineffectual performance.
Should he sign for Chelsea in the summer, his game time could be further limited under boss Enzo Maresca as competition for places will be even more intense.
Chelsea will welcome Brazil star Willian Estevao to Stamford Bridge in the summer, having signed him a year ago for £45m from Palmeiras.
However, Micciche believes Sancho’s matured under the Italian manager.
He said: “I’ve been to a few Chelsea games this season and Jadon has done some wonderful things in those games.
“The way they play, he’s often left in one on one situations.
“The way the game is going now, it can be hard for those types of players because they get doubled up on a lot.
“The expectation on him is so high. When he gets the ball, we’re expecting a bit of magic.
“I actually think he’s matured. When he was younger, he would be trying to beat the full-back and dribble his way through situation whenever he got the ball.
“In Maresca’s system he plays with his teammates a lot more. I think what makes wingers more effective is the runs ahead of him because that unbalances the full-back.
“Whereas when you get the ball and those forward runs aren’t made, and you are left one against one, opposition will double up.
“Then, you’ve got two choices – try to beat two players or pass the ball.
“I think Sancho might have had less ‘wow’ moments, but he’s played for the team a lot and showed maturity.”
During his time at club level, Sancho’s professionalism has sometimes been questioned.
At Borussia Dortmund, he was dropped for an important Champions League match against Barcelona after skipping a team meeting in the build-up.
While at Manchester United, Sancho was banished to the reserves by former manager Erik ten Hag for claiming the manager lied about his exclusion from the squad in a match against Arsenal.
Micciche believes Sancho is misunderstood and is a good person, at heart.
He said: “What we’re talking about is different personalities.
“There’s one thing about having a different type of personality, then there’s another thing of not being a very nice person.
“Jadon is a good person. What we have to remember is players are all very different.
“I always think the hardest players to coach are wingers. It’s very easy to point the finger at them and how they don’t track back.
“But, if you look at the players the current generation looked up to – it’s the likes of Ronaldinho and Neymar, flamboyant players and personalities.
“I think there’s a generalisation that players who have lots of flair are bad characters. It’s just their personality. They don’t do it deliberately.
“They are a bit different, to even how they dress, or sticking to rules, but as long as it doesn’t get out of control you have to accept they’re a bit different.
“They’re just creative individuals and think and act a bit differently, but that’s what makes them special. If you take out their individuality, then the game becomes very boring.”
Micciche believes Sancho needs to add another string to his bow and continue his development.
He divulged: “He’ll be judged on his goals and assists, so he’ll need to improve on those.
“He also needs to develop his game and find different ways to be effective on the pitch.
“That could be becoming a free-kick specialist. If he wanted to copy his idol, Ronaldinho who could score from set-pieces, then that would add another string to his bow.
“Say a free-kick does come off during a game, then that would also give him the confidence to try something different during a match that he might not have tried if he hadn’t scored that free-kick.
“There’s always things players can do to add to their game to solve different problems.
“We know Jadon’s a good player, otherwise teams wouldn’t double up on him. Now, he has to overcome that.”
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