Wake up, Jadon Sancho! Flaky Chelsea winger has reverted to the exasperating misfit he was at Man Utd - and now his Premier League career is at risk

Sancho was an outcast at United after his public fall-out with Erik ten Hag, but he reminded everyone of his unique qualities after returning to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season, playing a key role in the German club's surprise run to the Champions League final. Chelsea fans were treated to the same electrifying version of Sancho between September and December, with his most dazzling display coming in the thrilling 4-3 derby victory at Tottenham.

Spurs took an early two-goal lead in that contest, but Sancho took it upon himself to spark a remarkable comeback, gliding past three players before firing a superb low shot into the far corner to halve the deficit. Sancho created two other clear chances, touched the ball 12 times in the penalty area, and posted an 87 percent pass completion rate, outshining everyone else on the pitch barring two-goal hero Cole Palmer.

"I said since the start that the reason why Jadon came here is because we think that Jadon is going to help us," Maresca said in his post-match press conference. "The only thing he has to do is to continue in the same way. He cannot drop, otherwise he’s not going to play."

Sancho initially heeded his manager's warning, putting in another strong shift as Chelsea beat Brentford 2-1 at Stamford Bridge the following week. But the wheels came off for Maresca's side after that.

The Blues have won just two of their last eight Premier League games, dropping to fourth in the table as a consequence, and Sancho only created 11 chances during that dismal run. Worse still, he's stopped taking the risks that made him so exciting to watch earlier in the campaign.

“He came through the door and showed why I wanted him, the first few games he showed why he should be there, he was running at players, creating chances. But since December, we haven’t seen anything from Jadon. He cannot relax here,” Chelsea legend Jon Obi Mikel said on his podcast last week.

There is no doubt that Sancho has taken his foot off the gas. He suddenly has the same disinterested look on his face that was practically painted on at United, and as Ten Hag found out to his peril, re-motivating him is no easy task.

Sancho hit a new low on Saturday as Chelsea were dumped out of the FA Cup at the fourth-round stage by Brighton. The 23-cap England international didn't muster a single shot and failed to complete a dribble in his 74 minutes on the pitch, despite facing a side coming off a 7-0 league thrashing at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

He lost all seven of his duels and ceded possession eight times, too, before Maresca eventually reached the end of his tether. Despite Chelsea needing a goal, Maresca replaced Sancho with 19-year-old academy product Tyrique George for the final portion of the game, which was a humiliating moment for the former Dortmund talisman.

The likes of Christopher Nkunku, Palmer and Pedro Neto also underperformed in the 2-1 defeat, but Sancho stood out for a lack of effort as well as quality. He constantly slowed Chelsea down in attack, seemingly wanting no part in a battle with Joel Veltman, and didn't work hard enough defensively when Brighton were in the ascendency.

Maresca would surely have dropped Sancho weeks ago if he had the choice. But there is a good chance he will line up against Brighton once again in the Premier League this coming Friday, because Chelsea are looking very light on left-sided options, with Mykhailo Mudryk serving a provisional suspension after a positive doping test.

Nkunku has shown some class in that position, but prefers operating in the No.10 slot, while Chelsea's decision to loan Joao Felix out to AC Milan in January is already coming back to bite them, despite Maresca's claims to the contrary.

Sancho and George are the only natural left-wingers in the squad right now, and the latter is not yet ready for the intensity of top-level football. Time is, therefore, still on Sancho's side.

Indeed, The Athletic has reported that Chelsea still view Sancho as a 'potential superstar' who has a key role to play in Maresca's project. But that was the same line United fans were so often fed; Sancho has to break the habit of a lifetime and prove that he really wants it.

Sancho's attitude has always let him down. He tends to shrink in the face of adversity and blame others for his struggles. On Sunday, he provided more evidence of that when commenting on an Instagram post from ex-United team-mate Marcus Rashford, who shared some photos from his Aston Villa loan debut against Tottenham in the FA Cup.

"Freedom," Sancho wrote, before signing off with a blessing and raised hands emoji. That ill-advised single-word reply sparked a social media backlash, with popular X account @TheEuropeanLad capturing the mood of most supporters.

"Jadon Sancho, another footballer you can add among the list of low-IQ players with zero professionalism and zero mentality," the account said after quoting Sancho's comment. "Just another overpaid spoiled brat who thinks he’s cooking with a comment like this towards a club he should be on his knees to for having been allowed to wear their shirt."

Sancho is actually a very intelligent footballer when he's in the mood, but the fear is that the rest of that assessment will be proven accurate if it hasn't already. Rashford and Sancho both ultimately failed at Old Trafford, and if Sancho doesn't wise up, his time at Chelsea will end exactly the same way.

Chelsea initially signed Sancho on loan from United, with the final deal including £25 million ($31m) obligation to buy. Sancho probably isn't too worried about his form because of that safety net. But there are no guarantees at a club the size of Chelsea. Another summer of lavish spending will be on the cards if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League or win a trophy again.

The left flank is becoming an obvious problem for Chelsea, who are already being linked with AC Milan's Rafael Leao. Sancho could, then, soon find himself in the same hopeless position he was in at Old Trafford, with his market value at an all-time low.

If that happens, Sancho can forget about ever getting back into the England team - having not played for his country since October 2021. He also faces being blacklisted by the rest of the Premier League heavyweights in the event Chelsea let him go.

That would be a great shame given his ability, but the mentally weak never make the grade in the top flight. Until Sancho moves out of that bracket, his future looks bleak.