What next for Jadon Sancho after Chelsea snub? Following Marcus Rashford, lucrative Saudi risk & the Man Utd outcast's possible options

The emergence of a get-out clause in Chelsea's loan-to-buy agreement with United back in March - in the midst of a barren spell where Sancho hadn't scored or provided an assist since early January - immediately cast doubt over the winger's future, although reports suggested the Blues were still minded to keep him.

Sancho was more impactful towards the end of the season, especially in the Conference League, and after a goal in the 4-1 win over Real Betis in the final of the competition in Wroclaw, it seemed Chelsea had been convinced to hold onto him, with the £25m obligation to buy still representing fairly good value in today's market.

However, it was in negotiations over a permanent transfer that things went awry as the Blues were unable to reach an agreement on personal terms with Sancho and his representatives, bringing an abrupt end to his time in west London as that £5m penalty fee was incurred to send him back to Old Trafford.

That is undoubtedly a consequence of the player's supposed £300,000-per-week wages at United, although it had been reported that he would be willing to take a pay cut to make the deal happen when he first moved on loan in August last year.

Sancho's legacy at Chelsea is a complex one given he only lasted a season; an inconsistent campaign belied the very fast start he made to life at Stamford Bridge, when he provided four assists in his first three Premier League appearances and eventually returned six goal contributions in his first nine league games.

The Blues had soared as high as second by that point, but Sancho and most of Enzo Maresca's squad seemed to suffer a simultaneous crisis of confidence as their form dipped alarmingly, ultimately leading to a scrap for a top-four place. The winger scored just once more in the league all season after December.

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old's work ethic, attitude and European exploits made him a popular figure with both his head coach and the fans. "Jadon Sancho, if we finished fourth, it's because of Jadon, if we won tonight it’s because of Jadon," Maresca said after the Conference League final. "During the season, everyone is up and down a little bit, that’s part of the game."

However, others on the outside were far more scathing. "Jadon Sancho at Chelsea, for me, he flopped because he was given an opportunity to play at a top club and show everyone what he was capable of, but he didn't do it," former Blues defender William Gallas told Prime Casino.

Despite some strong opinions on his time at Stamford Bridge, Sancho has arguably done his reputation no harm with a steady-if-unspectacular spell back in England, which he capped with a goal in the Conference League final triumph.

Indeed, his message to the club following his exit sort of reflected that; he was simply appreciative of the opportunity to play Premier League football regularly and continue to get his career back on track after his successful half-season at Borussia Dortmund in 2023-24.

"Grateful for the experience," the winger wrote on social media. "Big love to everyone at Chelsea who made me feel at home - team-mates, staff and the fans. Wishing the club all the best moving forward. Truly grateful. Thank you, Blues."

He may not have set the world alight, but Sancho now has something tangible to build on at his next club, wherever that may be.

The question of where Sancho will continue his career is one that United in particular will be keen to find an answer to quickly. Despite his old adversary Erik ten Hag being replaced by Ruben Amorim in the dugout, it is unlikely in the extreme that the outcast will remain at Old Trafford.

Indeed, it has been reported that Amorim - whose preferred 3-4-3 shape doesn't incorporate out-and-out wingers - has no plans to reintegrate Sancho after his enforced return, having already signed Wolves' Matheus Cunha to play as a wide No.10 and with Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo seemingly on the way.

United will be determined to find a permanent solution this summer as Sancho enters the final year of his contract. Another loan - something the player is supposedly open to - would mean he could walk away for absolutely nothing in 2026; that is unthinkable given the £73m ($100m) the club splurged on him in 2021.

Thankfully for United, it seems Sancho did enough at Chelsea to generate plenty of transfer interest, with the Red Devils keen to recoup a sum close to the £25m they had pre-agreed with Chelsea before he was sent back to them.

On intriguing option reportedly on the table is following fellow Old Trafford outcast Marcus Rashford's footsteps to Aston Villa, where, ironically, he might be replacing his club-mate, who is a target for Barcelona after a successful loan at Villa Park.

Staying in the Premier League and playing for a club where there is relatively less pressure than at the established 'big six' could suit Sancho well, while Rashford's success out of the spotlight there will surely make it more appealing. If Sancho gets his wish and goes on loan initially, it opens the door to a fairly straightforward free transfer when his eye-watering United wage is no longer an issue.

There is no doubt that, since making his breakthrough as a precocious teenager at Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has looked far more at home in German football than anywhere else, with the rapid transitions, high intensity and often loose defending suiting his style of play perfectly.

Whether a return to the Bundesliga is on the cards this time, however, remains to be seen. It has been claimed that Dortmund do not plan to bring the winger back to Signal Iduna Park for a third spell, although Jamie Gittens' potential move to Chelsea (ironically, to partly replace Sancho) could change matters.

Man Utd still owe BVB around £17m ($23m) of the original huge fee they committed to pay in 2021, so there could be scope for the Red Devils to write off that debt if Dortmund's stance did change.

Dethroned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen had been credited with an interest in offering the player an escape route to Germany, but Ten Hag's appointment as Xabi Alonso's successor there puts the kibosh on that potential option.

Elsewhere in Europe, Serie A giants Napoli and AC Milan are said to be weighing up an approach for Sancho, perhaps encouraged by ex-United star Scott McTominay's success, although it's hard to know how much substance there is to those reports at this stage.

These days, whenever a big-name player is potentially available, moneyed Saudi Pro League clubs are invariably in the mix, and reports suggest that the Gulf State is Sancho's most likely destination this summer now he has returned to his parent club. Big hitters Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are all said to be interested in signing the England international, who would almost certainly be able to maintain that mindbogglingly high salary in the Middle East.

Sancho will, though, have to ask himself what the end goal is here; moving to Saudi Arabia at just 25 when he is, in theory, still short of his peak is a huge gamble, as he risks drifting into obscurity even if he does perform there, with his wages potentially pricing him out of a move back to Europe down the line.