‘Sancho will be like a new signing for Man Utd’ – Ferdinand backs £75m winger to shine after three-month exile

• Ten Hag forced forward to train alone
• Welcomed back in Carabao Cup clash
• Looking to justify hefty price tag

WHAT HAPPENED? Serious questions were asked of the England international’s future at Old Trafford when Erik ten Hag took to dropping him from the first-team fold at Old Trafford and forcing him to take on an individual training programme. Sancho spent several weeks in the wilderness before being welcomed back for a Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest on February 1 – his first competitive outing since October – and Ferdinand believes the 22-year-old will now have the determination to prove a point to anybody that was quick to write him off.

WHAT THEY SAID: Former United defender Ferdinand has told William Hill: “Jadon Sancho is back in the Man United squad and if he can get back playing to his best it will be like a new signing for the club. If you get someone like him, with the talent he has, playing to his best, he’s a threat for any team – his ability to cause defenders problems. In the short-term it also makes United a lot more competitive in general. The United bench over the last month hasn’t been at its most strongest so having Sancho back gives Erik ten Hag a new option to turn to in the coming weeks. He didn’t come on against Crystal Palace on Saturday, but the manager will be turning to him in the coming weeks so he’ll have the opportunities to build up some form.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: United invested £75 million ($90m) worth of faith in Sancho when prising him away from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021, and have received just eight goals and four assists in return.

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WHAT NEXT? Sancho is tied to a contract at Old Trafford through to 2026, with the option for a further 12-month extension beyond that point, so time remains on his side when it comes to rediscovering the form that made him one of the most exciting talents in European football during his days at Dortmund.