Will the real Jadon Sancho please stand up? Man Utd need MUCH more from inconsistent £72m man

After a drawn-out transfer saga spanning the best part of two years, United finally managed to prise Sancho away from Dortmund in a £72 million deal on July 23, 2021.

At the time, the huge fee felt justified, and perhaps even a bargain given how far Dortmund came down from their initial £108m asking price.

Sancho was nothing short of phenomenal at Dortmund, registering 50 goals and 64 assists across 137 appearances, while also earning a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for both 2019 and 2020.

He became one of the best young players in Europe during his four-year stay in Germany, but has not played with the same freedom at Old Trafford.

The large gulf in quality between the Bundesliga and Premier League cannot be disputed, and a settling-in period was expected for Sancho, but he has often looked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders at United.

When asked about Sancho's failure to hit the ground the running mid-way through the 2021-22 campaign, then-interim manager Ralf Rangnick gave a telling response: "The level of expectation was a lot lower [at Dortmund] compared to the situation where you come to a club like United for a high transfer fee. He’s playing in a different league and is playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. It’s also got to do with a lot of the things up here in his head."

Sancho turned 23 last month, which is often the age that talented prospects start to blossom into the finished article, but he is still yet to find a way to handle the pressure of life at United.

At Dortmund, Sancho was fearless. When he received the ball, the crowd would hold its breath in anticipation of something special, and he rarely disappointed.

He glided past defenders with ease and provided Dortmund's frontmen with a constant stream of incisive passes, while also showing off his eye for goal.

That's why United invested so heavily in Sancho. He seemed to have all the necessary attributes to follow in the footsteps of some of the club's all-time great wingers such as George Best, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Unfortunately, Sancho seems to lack the inner belief that those icons had in spades.

He has recorded only 14 goal contributions in 64 outings for United to date, which highlights the fact that he is no longer taking risks in possession.

Indeed, former United defender Rio Ferdinand recently issued a warning to Sancho and another of the club's big-money signings, Antony, on his FIVE YouTube channel: "There’s one part of Antony and Jadon Sancho’s game that I think needs to improve, and that’s taking more risks. You don’t have success without taking risks, you don’t win trophies without taking risks. [Sir] Alex Ferguson used to say to us all the time that he doesn’t want safe from forwards."

Sancho's cautious game underlines just how low on confidence he is. Until he can rediscover the bold mindset that saw him thrive at Dortmund, Ten Hag will have little reason to keep him in the starting XI.

Ten Hag has been very open with his concerns about Sancho this season. He was omitted from England's 2022 World Cup squad after falling out of favour at United, and suffered another blow when Ten Hag decided not to take him on the club's winter training camp in Spain.

"We got a drop of level and what happens sometimes you don't know why or what is causing it," the United boss said. "That is what we're doing now, trying to research and now we try to get him back there. It's a combination of physical but also mental."

Sancho finally returned to action for United's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie, and has made 12 more appearances since then, but has only scored twice.

He hasn't set up any goals in that period either, which leaves Ten Hag in something of a bind when trying to fit him into his team.

Marcus Rashford, United's top goal-scorer in 2022-23, is at his best when cutting in from the left. Alejandro Garnacho, who is currently out injured, has also impressed on that flank and has been earmarked as one of the club's brightest talents.

On the right, £85m summer addition Antony continues to be Ten Hag's go-to man, and although the Brazilian has also been criticised for a lack of end product, he has an aggressive, combative streak that often helps spark United into life - not to mention a wand of a left foot.

With Anthony Martial now returning to full fitness, it will be even harder for Sancho to get a look-in. He has only completed four 90-minute matches this season, and after his early exit against Brentford, it's clear that he still does not yet enjoy Ten Hag's full trust.

If Sancho doesn't start fulfilling his potential soon, his future at Old Trafford will become even more uncertain.

He is under contract until 2026, but according to the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag is growing impatient with the England forward, and United may consider cutting their losses on a prized asset.

The Red Devils have also been linked with a number of players that are ahead of Sancho in their development right now, including Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Former Italy forward Christian Vieri has even gone so far as to say of the Georgian sensation, who has helped Napoli storm to the top of Serie A and reach the Champions League quarter-finals: "If he goes toManchester United,the days of George Best will return. Kvaratskhelia is the same."

Ten Hag is also reportedly weighing up a move for Mohamed Kudus, who could follow in the footsteps of Antony and Lisandro Martinez in making the jump from Ajax to Old Trafford this summer.

Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma is another exciting name said to be on United's shortlist, and the Japan international has already proved he can cut it in the Premier League with a string of superb performances for Roberto De Zerbi's side.

It has also been reported that United could rival Chelsea for the permanent signing of Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix, and Sancho would likely see his minutes reduced even further if the club is able to pull off one or more these deals when the transfer market reopens.

Sancho still has an opportunity to turn his United career around, but the time is now.

With Weghorst failing to provide regular goals and Garnacho set to be out for at least another couple of weeks, Sancho can stake his claim.

United have two crucial games on the horizon, starting with a home fixture against an Everton side desperate for points to beat the drop on Saturday.

Ten Hag's side are then back in Europa League action five days later, with Sevilla set to arrive at Old Trafford for the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Sancho has to make the most of every second he gets on the field over the course of those two games and show the manager that he deserves to be a United player.

If he can step up to the plate, he could very well play a key role in their bid to close out a top-four Premier League finish and complete a treble, with the FA Cup also still up for grabs and the Carabao Cup already in the bank.

But playing it safe won't be enough. United fans want to see the Sancho that terrorised defences in the Bundesliga and Champions League for fun at Dortmund. He needs to start enjoying his football again - or else he will be destined to join the long list of flops that have passed through Old Trafford in the post-Ferguson era.