What's next for Jadon Sancho: Return to Man Utd or Stay at Dortmund?

In his second stint with Borussia Dortmund, Jadon Sancho jumped off to a superb start. He contributed an assist in their 3-0 victory over Darmstadt last Saturday evening.

Manchester United loaned the winger back to BVB for the remainder of the 2023/24 season due to a conflict with the manager, Erik ten Hag.

There has been speculation of Sancho extending his stay with Dortmund beyond his loan period, even though the club doesn't have an option to make his move permanent, owing to his immediate impact on his return to the Bundesliga.

But, what would Sancho's options look like come season-end? We explore the array of possible futures.

The possibility of Sancho being reinstated into the current United setup is centered around his relationship with Ten Hag. The manager had dropped the winger from the squad for a match against Arsenal in September, pointing to his unsatisfactory training level.

Sancho contested these allegations on social media, indirectly labelling Ten Hag a liar. His tweet remained at the top of his Twitter page for several days before being taken down. His refusal to apologize to Ten Hag led to his exclusion from the first team.

According to insider information, for Sancho to be reinstated in United's current setup, he would have to apologize to Ten Hag and his teammates. This means that the situation is unlikely to change even if he performs well at Dortmund, without a formal and public apology.

When his loan term is up, INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will officially be handling the club's sporting affairs and wrapping up their comprehensive review of United. This will involve making a decision on Ten Hag's future. If a hypothetical situation arises where United didn't meet their season's goals and Sancho did, he could possibly make a return under a new manager even without apologizing.

If Sancho should find his way back to Old Trafford in the absence of Ten Hag, it is unlikely that he would oppose staying, as his problem is with the manager, not the club itself.

Dortmund went into this deal with a more long-term view than just a loan, but they could not reach an agreement on an option or obligation to buy that excluded United.

United had demanded a compulsory purchase clause of £50m from Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq, in the course of a loan negotiation for Sancho in September. However, the lack of a similar clause in the Dortmund deal is not indicative of a failed negotiation, but rather a change in United's approach.

They believed it was better to let Sancho gain more game time elsewhere, with another team covering his wage, earn a fee and ensure some distance from Ten Hag. Dortmund pays a fixed €3.5m (£3m) fee, along with a potential €4m (£3.4m) in add-ons; a figure that could potentially exceed Sancho's wage and result in United breaking even or making profit.

If Sancho performs well for the rest of the season, United is likely to sell him. This is primarily because they may need funds from the sale to give them more flexibility in the summer market. This loan aims to counterbalance his wages, increase his worth and ultimately move him out for around €58m (£50m), whether to Dortmund or a different club.

Prior to the Bundesliga's winter break, Dortmund's prospects of making the top four seemed bleak. Now, they are trailing RB Leipzig, who are fourth, by three points and third-placed Stuttgart by four points.

Sancho is also eligible to participate in Dortmund's Champions League knockout campaign, with BVB set to face Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven in the last 16.