Premier League-linked Sancho needs to stay at Dortmund for now, says former coach Heinrich

Jadon Sancho needs to resist the lure of the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool to continue his development at Borussia Dortmund, according to the club's former assistant coach Jorg Heinrich.

The former Manchester City youth player has been linked with a return to the Premier League after starring in the Bundesliga for BVB - and for England on the international stage - over the past 12 months.

Heinrich, a Champions League winner with Dortmund in 1996-97, believes Sancho is arguably the most exciting player in world football right now, but feels that he would be better off staying with the German giants in the short term as the rumours around his future continue to swirl.

"The club is ambitious to keep its players but it also realises that Jadon might move on in the future,” Heinrich told Goal.

"He is the biggest talent in the world right now but it’s important that he stays at Dortmund to continue his development, because here he can play in the Champions League.”

Sancho contributed an incredible 13 strikes and 19 assists for Dortmund last season and has already hit the back of the net four times and created seven goals in the 2019-20 campaign.

The winger failed to play a match for Manchester City despite spending three years at the club and joined Dortmund in 2017 for a reported fee of £8 million ($10.3m)

Heinrich says the minutes he has got at Dortmund - compared to not getting an opportunity in England - has been the reason for his accelerated development.

"The game time he has received at Dortmund since moving from Man City has helped him to this stage," Heinrich said. "The squad has played to his strengths as a wide attacker.

"Right now he is going through a little hurdle with his form because he is getting a lot of games at 19 years old - and he is getting more attention from the opposition."

Sancho played 90 minutes in Dortmund's 2-0 defeat to Inter in the Champions League and came closest to scoring for the Germans on the stroke of half-time with a low shot saved by Samir Handanovic.

He'll next be in action on Saturday in the Bundesliga as Dortmund travel to Schalke on Saturday, October 26.