[ad_1]
The story of Jadon Sancho’s transfer to Manchester United is once again relevant.
After looking like he’s dead in the water, the latest rumors are that agent fees have been ordered and all that’s left is for United and Borussia Dortmund to agree on a price. The move is closer than ever to happening and if it did come, Sancho would be a transformative signing for the Red Devils in multiple ways, starting with …
1. The far right left
At first glance, Manchester United sign Jadon Sancho to play in only one position: the right. On the left they have Marcus Rashford, in front is Anthony Martial and at number 10 is Bruno Fernandes. The only hole in his starting XI is on the right, and if he does join, Sancho will plug it.
But Sancho is more than a rightist. The brilliance of the young man is that he can play in the entire second band in attack. He’s known as a right winger, to be sure, but he spent a good chunk of the end of last season playing in a more “central” role when Dortmund switched teams. Even from this position, however, it would still drift to the left.
Jadon Sancho’s heat map of Dortmund’s 1-6 win over Paderborn, where he scored a hat-trick from a “central” position.
It has also flourished on the left in a more orthodox role in numerous previous cases. Especially in his youth at the beginning with Dortmund and with youth teams from England. He dominated from there in the Euro U-17 in 2017 and was voted the best player of the tournament when England finished runner-up.
Since then, Sancho has returned to play there numerous times, including at the Camp Nou last season, where he scored a goal. It can really cover the entire width of the field, going in and out of both flanks, and this is why it is so dangerous for opponents.
Sancho is sure to start out as United’s right-back in every major game (fitness permitting), but as those matches progress, you can expect to see him show up throughout the attack, finding spaces where he can hurt opponents no matter what. where it takes you. in the countryside. And that kind of fluidity is exactly what United needs to stop becoming stale and predictable.
2. Elite creation and essential opportunities
The Premier League’s top opportunity creator in 2019/20 was Kevin De Bruyne with 136. Manchester United’s top opportunity creator in the league was Fred, with 35. Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho created 69, almost double what that Fred posted and certainly twice (or more) than any of United’s amazing forwards.
Jadon Sancho’s key metrics per 90 of 2019/20 compared to his new Manchester United teammates.
As much as Manchester United’s three forwards were a fabulous trio when it came to scoring and scoring goals, they weren’t really a creative bunch that could divide opponents and create opportunities for their teammates. This contributed to the difficulties United had in taking down stubborn defenses (which ultimately cost them in the Europa League and FA Cup and almost cost them in the Premier League).
Sancho can provide those opportunities. You’d think they’re bringing it in to do it. And coupled with a full season of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba (despite playing less than half of Marcus Rashford’s minutes, Fernandes and Pogba created just three fewer chances with 30 each), United will suddenly find it much more. easy to take down opponents, helping them win those tight and tense matchups.
3. Will play as …
What makes Sancho such a special signing is that his kind of profile has not been seen as often in the Premier League. Here we have a winger who dribbles a lot and creates chances at an elite level, but doesn’t necessarily shoot as often. There are very few such players in England, fascinating dribblers who are selfless creators.
Based on gross figures, Sancho shares similarities with Bernardo Silva of Man City. Very well, the Portuguese pushes more than Sancho, and he is not such a relentless dribbler. But in the end both men hit a lot, take the ball into the last third and create one opportunity after another for their teammates. Riyad Mahrez is another with a similar profile, though he tends to shoot more.
It is interesting to note how different a player Sancho is compared to Liverpool’s star forwards Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah. Many expected Liverpool to replace the player, but in a sense the numbers suggest that Sancho’s style would have made him an odd candidate in the roles Mané and Salah occupy. Also consider the immense cost and the fact that Sancho wouldn’t necessarily start, and Liverpool’s inaction makes sense.
4. The curse will be lifted
Five players have worn Manchester United’s legendary number 7 jersey since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club, and all have been colossal disappointments in one way or another. Michael Owen has a last-second derby winner, but otherwise not an injury prone event, Antonio Valencia cringed under pressure, Ángel Di María was a misfit, Memphis Depay was mismanaged and Alexis Sánchez was, well , There have been no invented Words to describe what Alexis Sánchez was at Manchester United.
The prevailing theory is that jersey number 7 was cursed. That the brilliance of Cristiano, David Beckham and Eric Cantona had put an unspoken weight on the number that was too heavy for others to bear. As absurd as that idea is, there is no denying that three wildly talented players have failed using it. But that will change if Sancho arrives.
The Englishman currently uses the seven for Borussia Dortmund and will take it if he joins United, and is a player of such overwhelming quality and confidence that he will undoubtedly act with him and thus ‘break’ the curse.
5. United will reappear in the title image.
Manchester United’s form with Fernandes on the side was as good as anyone in the Premier League. During the entire second half of the season, the Red Devils lost only twice (the aforementioned FA Cup and Europa League semi-finals) and thus either beat the teams or drew absurdly. A full Fernandes season and you can imagine United being much closer to the league leaders than the frankly absurd 33-point gap between them and Liverpool in 2019/20.
A whole season of Fernandes and Sancho, however? That will boost United’s form to a frankly terrifying degree. Obviously one of the problems United had was that if you could put Fernandes down you could put down United. Southampton, Spurs and West Ham did all of this and took points away from the Red Devils.
Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes could help Man Utd match Kevin De Bruyne’s superhuman production.
With Sancho, this strategy no longer works. Now we must pay tribute to English as well as to Portuguese in between. The fact that United can attack opponents with two great creative forces will not only make them more dangerous, it will create a lot more space for other teammates, perhaps allowing them to be even more creative.
The signing of Sancho would genuinely propel United back into the title race. They are not likely to win it yet, but for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, they would be relevant competitors to him.
