Jadon Sancho open to January loan with Erik ten Hag ready to ‘wash his hands’ of Man Utd exile

Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho is willing to consider a move in January, according to an insider, but would prefer a loan deal so he can “reevaluate” his position in the summer.

The England forward is not ready to give up on his United career yet, especially one under a different manager should Erik ten Hag depart amid the club’s struggles.

The United manager is ready to “wash his hands” of Sancho and wants the 23-year-old to leave in the January transfer window to remove a “disruptive influence” from a squad already in crisis.

i understands that the Dutchman is yet to receive the apology he says he needs in order to reintegrate Sancho into the first-team squad.

A source said that the United boss wants the player to apologise in front of the rest of the squad, something Sancho does not feel he should have to do.

The row stems from Sancho’s public response to Ten Hag’s claims last month that he had not been applying himself in training.

“There is no relationship between Jadon and Ten Hag,” an insider close to Sancho told i.

“They have barely spoken since the incident and Jadon is still training with the academy players. He has no involvement with the first team.

“Right now, getting out of there would suit everyone.”

Juventus and Sancho’s former club Borussia Dortmund are two parties set to come in with January loan offers. United would also prefer Sancho to leave on loan rather than a permanent exit in the winter transfer window, more for speed to allow everyone to move on quickly.

Ten Hag is pleased with the fight the squad have showed in recent weeks despite the club enduring their worst start to a season since 1986-87.

The manner of the last-gasp comeback victory over Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday was proof of this unity, a club source said, something the manager is keen to foster rather than disrupt.

The fact Sancho feels so far away from Ten Hag and his team-mates has led insiders to wonder how the relationship can even begin to be repaired.

Sancho has been training away from the first team since 14 September. He does not attend first-team games as a spectator, preferring to watch academy matches at weekends from the sidelines. His fitness condition has been described by one insider as “not good”, with a move needed to keep him from deteriorating further.

A few hours before United’s Champions League opener against Bayern Munich last month, Sancho was spotted playing the online video game EA Sports FC 24, while he was at the Carrington training ground as United were beaten by Crystal Palace at Old Trafford two weeks ago.

The crux of the fractious relationship remains the same: Sancho feels that Ten Hag has his favourites and gives others more of a chance.

Antony only returned to England on 1 October after flying back to Brazil to face allegations of assault, which he strenuously denies, and was immediately back in the first-team squad to face Galatasaray two days later.

Ill-discipline at United has been endemic in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era, with the hierarchy impressed with how Ten Hag dealt with Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit.

The Dutchman retains the backing of the club and is therefore even less likely to back down, leaving the future highly uncertain for a player who arrived in Manchester two years ago with the world at his feet.