Jadon Sancho could have a say in Aston Villa resurgence – it would decide his future
It has been a rough ride in English football for Jadon Sancho.
Since making a £73million switch to Manchester United in 2021, the winger has never found his spark consistently, after previously shining for Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho spent the 2024-25 season out on loan at Chelsea, after a previous spell back with German giants Dortmund.
Making the loan switch to Aston Villa on deadline day over the summer, the 25-year-old has slowly got up to speed under Unai Emery, and had begun to make a much bigger impact at Villa Park.
Villa have shown inconsistencies since the turn of the year after an excellent period in the lead-up to Christmas, and as they look to rebuild their form and claim a Champions League spot, the pressure is on Sancho to further step up in claret and blue.
Jadon Sancho can have a big impact at Aston Villa
When looking at Sancho’s career in England, it has to be acknowledged that the current environment at Aston Villa is by far the most stable that the winger has been involved in.
Manchester United’s free fall had begun to take shape during his debut 2021-22 campaign, while consistent minutes were hard to come by as a result of the aggressive rotation under Enzo Maresca last term.
The point does have to be made that Sancho has not hit the levels imagined after his spectacular period at the Westfalenstadion, where he scored 51 times and registered 65 assists across 144 appearances.
Without electric pace, the 25-year-old is not a dyamic one on one threat, but his stats still indicate a player with supreme talents with the ball at his feet.
With 31.1 successful passes per 90 at an 85 per cent success rate, only four wingers rank higher than Sancho across the Premier League, while his tally is larger than the likes of Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White and Villa teammate Morgan Rogers – all of whom play more central roles.
As a player, Sancho has never been an all-action dribbler, instead he thrives when able to stand up a defender and cause havoc with his passing – as showcased in Villa’s recent 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, where he registered his first assist, having completed 19 out of 22 passes.
With Villa now making use of a more old-school number nine in Tammy Abraham, while Emery continues to profile Sancho correctly, his impact should continue on its upward trajectory.
Final months of Aston Villa season will decide Jadon Sancho’s future
Sancho has been unable to fully settle at a club since his move back to England in 2021, with both his form and the unstable environment around him having a huge impact.
Still yet to enter the theoretical prime years of his career, settling down at Villa Park could be the move to fully polish a player with immense talents that have simply not been utilised correctly.
Villa sit third in the Premier League, while they are one of the favourites to go on and lift the Europa League in May.
If Sancho is to have a big impact as they look to claim a Champions League place, and triumph in Istanbul, it could well decide his future in the midlands.
Emery previously said: “Hopefully, he can help us by increasing his qualities in our structure, like he is doing. He will need another contract, and maybe it could be here. If he plays his best football, we will want him. But also, other teams could be involved in the interest for him.”
Villa need to secure their return to Europe’s premier competition after a year away, and now would be a perfect time for Sancho to step up and deliver that – cementing a legacy at the club that could be extended should he secure a permanent move over the summer.
Head to Football Insider for all the latest updates and insight into what is going on at Aston Villa.