Jadon Sancho urged to extend Borussia Dortmund stay amid Man Utd links
Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho has been urged to stay at the Bundesliga club by former coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Sancho has enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough season that has seen him become a regular in the Dortmund starting eleven in their pursuit of the league title.
Should Sancho stay? Five things you need to know…
- Sancho moved to Dortmund from Manchester City for £8 million in 2017.
- He has made 48 appearances for the German outfit, scoring 10 goals.
- This season, Sancho has scored eight goals and assisted 16 times in just 27 matches, averaging a direct involvement every 1.12 games.
- He made his England debut in October and has amassed four caps to date.
- The 19-year-old has been linked with a move away from Dortmund with Manchester United reportedly interested.
Former Dortmund boss Hitzfeld – who managed the side between 1991-1997 – believes the England international should stay and develop at the club that has shown so much faith in his development.
Hitzfeld understands the financial temptations that the Premier League has to offer but has urged the winger to remain on German soil and continue getting regular first-team football.
“It’s becoming more and more difficult for the Bundesliga, and specifically Borussia Dortmund, to retain players like Jadon Sancho,” Hitzfeld said.
“If you have a long-term contract with a top team in England, money is a big factor.
“The question is, how does Sancho’s management see the situation? Do you say, ‘I’ll stay with Dortmund where I’m a starter, instead of joining a top team too early and only sit on the bench’.
“For his career, it would certainly be better to remain at Dortmund for one or two years.”
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Is Sancho the next Ribery?
One player who has shown that you don’t need to leave the Bundesliga to enjoy success and grow a worldwide reputation as a top footballer is Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.
The Frenchman has enjoyed a stellar career with the German giants, winning countless trophies and individual awards while appearing 419 times for Bayern, the most of any foreign player in the club’s history, scoring 122 goals.
Hitzfeld has likened Sancho to a young Ribery, which has to be considered extremely high praise indeed.
“Sancho surprised everybody,” Hitzfeld continued.
“He’s a gifted player, very fast, technically perfect, he always has a trick up his sleeves.
“He reminds me of the young Franck Ribery, who was also very tricky and going for goal as a young player.
“Sancho is like that and he also has the speed to make a name for himself in international football.”
