Numerous players in the current Manchester United squad are reportedly hesitant about Jadon Sancho’s comeback this summer, as they “do not believe he is good enough”.

Sancho was loaned to Chelsea at the close of the summer transfer window under an agreement that includes a mandatory purchase for approximately £25m. It has been recently disclosed that the Blues also hold an option to pay United a fixed fee of £5m to return the 25-year-old to Old Trafford.

Several prominent figures within the United camp reportedly have “major misgivings” regarding Sancho’s possible return, according to the Manchester Evening News.

The report claims that this blunt stance is not a clash of personalities – Sancho instead was described as “unable to cope” with the demands of playing for United.

During his first spell with the club after arriving from Borussia Dortmund for a swollen sum of £73m in the summer of 2021, Sancho was able to muster nine Premier League goals and six assists across a little more than two seasons before he was exiled by Erik ten Hag.

The Dutch coach publicly criticised Sancho’s work ethic in training which inspired a retaliation from the player on social media. The winger eventually joined Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign – and helped the German outfit reach last season’s Champions League final.

While United’s squad are supposedly opposed to the idea of lining up alongside Sancho again, the player himself isn’t entirely enamoured by the prospect of that scenario. Instead, Sancho is said to favour a return to Dortmund, where he has comfortably enjoyed the best performances of his career.

Whether the Bundesliga club can afford Sancho is another question entirely. Dortmund’s transfer spend will have to be slashed if they miss out on Champions League qualification. Slumped in the bottom half of the Bundesliga and out of the DFB Pokal, Dortmund’s only remaining avenue to qualify for any European competition is by winning this season’s Champions League. They are considered to be rank outsiders.

United would need to sell Sancho for at least £14.58m to avoid making a loss, according to MEN’s calculations, while Chelsea would be looking for an even larger fee if they follow through with their £25m purchase of the forward.