Staggering cost of Jadon Sancho's disastrous spell at Man Utd revealed as polarising winger nears exit

Having originally arrived from Borussia Dortmund for a whopping £73m, Sancho will leave having cost the club £138m when factoring in his eye-watering £250,000-a-week wages over a five-year commitment, according to financial breakdowns made by the Daily Mail.

The 25-year-old is now in the midst of his third loan spell away from the club, this time at Aston Villa. Remarkably, the forward has already played more games for other teams (90) than he has for the Red Devils (83). Sancho has managed just 12 goals and six assists in a United shirt - a dismal return for a player who was once the second-most expensive English player in history.

At Villa, Sancho has once again failed to rediscover the spark that once made him Europe’s most wanted teenager. His time in the West Midlands has been largely forgettable, with the player failing to pin down a regular spot in Unai Emery’s starting XI. Sancho has managed just one goal from 25 games in all competitions for the Villans, with his only strike coming in the Europa League. While Emery has publicly supported the winger, the reality remains that his impact has been minimal. He has made only six Premier League starts for Villa so far this term.

With his Old Trafford contract expiring this summer, interest is mounting from afar. Borussia Dortmund are reportedly weighing up a sensational third move for the Englishman as they prepare for a major squad overhaul, with the England international set to be available on a free transfer this summer. His previous success in the Bundesliga makes him a financially attractive option as a potential replacement for the outgoing Julian Brandt.

Manchester United appear ready to wash their hands of the situation entirely, even if it means losing the player for nothing. The club holds a 12-month extension option on his contract, but the hierarchy has reportedly decided against triggering it. The primary motivation for INEOS is to clear his massive wages off the books this summer to create room in the budget for new arrivals.

Barring a miracle turnaround in form, Sancho is destined to leave Old Trafford as an era-defining flop. While United managed to recoup small sums through loan fees from Chelsea and Villa, the overall net loss on the player is massive. From being the face of a new generation at United to a player who will be allowed to walk away on a free transfer, Sancho's decline serves as a cautionary tale of big-money recruitment gone wrong.