Jadon Sancho could still end up back at Manchester United next season as the winger faces criticism over his Chelsea spell.
The 24-year-old seemingly cut permanent ties with the Red Devils when he swapped Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge last summer.
Across three years at Man United, Sancho, who was signed for over £70million from Borussia Dortmund, scored just nine goals in 58 Premier League games.
He was exiled from the United squad after falling out with then-manager Erik ten Hag, leading to his loan departure to Chelsea.
The start to his spell in London went well, as he scored two goals and assisted three in his opening few games for the Blues.
However, in more recent weeks, Sancho’s form has dipped and he’s been criticised for his performances, having not scored or provided a goal since January.
And with the deal only a loan, some Chelsea fans and even club legends, questioning whether they want to keep him going forward…
Do Chelsea have to buy Jadon Sancho?
When Sancho made the summer switch to Chelsea, the deal was confirmed to be a season-long loan with the obligation to buy for £25million.
Reports claim that the Blues must pay the obligatory fee if they finish above 14th in the Premier League, and that looks sure to happen.
However, there is still a chance that the permanent move won’t happen at the end of the season.
The Daily Mail claim that Chelsea can pull out of the obligation even if they meet the requirements of the agreed deal with Man United.
However, to do that, they would have to pay a significant amount of money to United to break the terms of the initial agreement.
There are also reports that Sancho hasn’t agreed personal terms over a permanent move either, with that potentially scuppering things too.
But the forward seems to be happy with life in London, despite his recent struggles, and Chelsea are said to still be intent on signing him.
Speaking after a win over Leicester earlier this month, Sancho said: “I’m really delighted that I’m here, playing football at Chelsea.
“Maresca makes us feel at home. It’s not easy for players to say that. We’ve grown into one big family.”
Enzo Maresca mentioned Sancho after the Blues’ defeat to Arsenal at the weekend and he was seemingly pleased with his performance.
When asked about whether he wanted more out of his loanee and Christopher Nkunku due to Cole Palmer being absent, Maresca said: “Jadon did quite well, Christo also.
“I didn’t have the feeling they can do something better. For sure, we can create and attack better as a team.”
In that defeat to Arsenal, Sancho failed to register a shot on goal in 76 minutes and with only 36 touches of the ball, he struggled to get involved.
That continued his poor streak, with that game being his 11th in the Premier League this campaign that he didn’t have a shot on target.
So despite the obligation in his loan deal, Chelsea can still opt out if they want to.
Whether Man United want Sancho back is a different question and should the Blues decide to pay a fee to send him to Old Trafford again, he could be left in limbo.
