Jadon Sancho is ‘back to his best’ after dazzling for Dortmund in 1-0 win over PSG, claims Owen Hargreaves – as Rio Ferdinand questions ‘why it didn’t go well’ at Man United following exile

Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves questioned why Jadon Sancho struggled at Manchester United after he delivered a superb performance for Borussia Dortmund against Paris Saint-Germain.

Niclas Fullkrug’s goal was the difference at the Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final and Dortmund will take a 1-0 lead to the Parc des Princes next week.

Sancho was a constant thorn in PSG’s side and looked a completely different player from the one who returned to Germany on loan in January after being exiled from United’s first-team following a high-profile dispute with Erik ten Hag.

Speaking on TNT after the game, Ferdinand and Hargreaves agreed the 24-year-old had been renergised by a change of environment after returning to Dortmund. 

‘I want to know what happened at Man United. Why didn’t it go well there?,’ Ferdinand said.

‘Is it game time or did he not apply himself properly at Manchester United? Was he disheartened because he wasn’t getting game time? 

‘Was it the size of the club, the weight of the shirt? Is it the club? Is it the manager’s fault for not getting the best out of him.’ 

Hargreaves replied: ‘It’s everything in there, it’s all of those things. It’s environment. 

‘[Tonight] I knew from the first touch he was going to have a game like that, because he had a bit of swagger, didn’t he? 

And that’s, I think that’s when Jadon’s at his best, he has a bit of swagger. At United, he went safe and played back to the fullback, didn’t he?’

Ferdinand added: ‘That’s what the frustration used to be at Man United. He’s not doing that. 

‘The physicality of the Premier League is that, was that an issue? I don’t know. But there’s so many different things that you look at and go, What could it be? Only Jadon can tell us that. 

‘But at the same time as well, you look at the way that that he played in the Champions League semi final, you can’t devalue that.’

Sancho emerged as one of European football’s brightest talents in his first spell at Dortmund, before joining United for £73million in the summer of 2021.

But he never lived to expectations at Old Trafford, scoring just 12 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions.

In September, Sancho was exiled from the United’s first team squad following a public spat with ten Hag in the aftermath of United’s 3-1 loss against Arsenal.

Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference he had left Sancho out of the United squad for the trip to the Emirates ‘on his performances in training’.

It prompted a furious response from the England international, who effectively called his manager a liar as he dismissed the claims as ‘completely untrue’ and insisted he has been made a ‘scapegoat’ in a lengthy social media post.

Sancho was subsequently forced to train on his own and banned from using first-team facilities, before eventually returning to Dortmund on loan in January.

While he’s failed to reach the heights of his first spell in the Bundesliga, Sancho has looked increasingly more at ease after his return to Germany, contributing three goals and two assists in 17 outings in all competitions.

His 12 completed dribbles on Wednesday night were the most in a Champions League semi-final since Leo Messi at the same stage of the competition against United in 2008.

‘He’s just putting people on the floor,’ Ferdinand said.

‘He’s making people dance. But it was, it was a joke, what he’d done today, and we haven’t seen this probably since he was at Dortmund [for the first time].

Hargreaves was similarly impressed. 

‘At United, we didn’t really see him commit people,’ he said. 

‘Jadon just answered a lot of questions today […] you might criticise him as not consistent, but today he outplayed every single player on that pitch.’

While it remains to be seen whether Sancho will have a future at Old Trafford under INEOS’ new regime, both Ferdinand and Hargreaves agreed his performances in the Champions League were good news for United.

‘For him, but also for Man United, there’s a plus point tonight,’ Ferdinand continued. 

‘The value has gone back up again because I think most teams are probably looking to loan him or nick him for a very, very cheap [fee]. 

‘I think teams will be looking at that now performance and going: “If I can get anywhere near that on a regular basis, I will have some of that.”‘

Asked whether Sancho’s price tag could increase after his display against PSG, Hargreaves replied: ‘Definitely. Because people weren’t really sure. You know what’s gonna happen is you’re gonna be sold. Is he gonna be loaned out?

‘I can see it [his talent] again, which is super exciting because he’s been through a difficult phase.’