Jadon Sancho: Ruthless Ratcliffe considers brutal way to resolve Ten Hag row as Man Utd follow Cristiano Ronaldo lead

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly giving serious thought to ridding Manchester United of their Jadon Sancho problem in what would be a major show of faith towards manager Erik ten Hag.

The 23-year-old winger has had a major and very public falling out with the Manchester United boss after accusing the Dutchman of lying over the reasons behind his exclusion from the squad earlier this season, and also claiming Ten Hag was scapegoating him.

And with Sancho refusing to apologise for his outburst – posted on the social media platform X before being deleted – the two men have remained at loggerheads ever since.

Ten Hag, for his part, has made his stance on the matter perfectly clear, ostracising Sancho from United’s first-team training ground and use of their facilities until he offers a public apology.

The row, however, has created a bit of a power struggle at Old Trafford with senior members of the squad seemingly torn over Ten Hag’s strong-arm approach to the row.

The United boss, however, remains unmoved and the club have actively let it be known they are open to his possible sale in the January window as a result.

To that end, it was revealed on Tuesday that Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Juventus were the three sides most strongly considering an approach for Sancho next month, though one major hurdle was blocking all their paths.

That trio of sides are currently exploring the possibility of signing Sancho on a loan deal, though we understand United would only sanction such a move if it included an obligation to make that move permanent.

Given the player’s £250,000 a week salary at Old Trafford, that represents a tricky situation to resolve.

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Ratcliffe holds talks over extreme Jadon Sancho measure at Man Utd

Those salary expectations, together with United’s determination to secure an obligation to sell the player, appear to have scared Barcelona out of the race.

And the Red Devils are acutely aware that the player’s other suitors could also take a similar stance, leaving United with potentially nowhere to turn with the player.

However, according to Sky Sports, United’s incoming new investor, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is willing to take matters into his own hands and has already held talks with colleagues and those in power at United over terminating the 23-year-old’s deal.

The winger’s current deal is due to expire in 2026, with the arrangement currently costing United a money-sapping £13m a year, or another £32.5m over the duration of the time that is left.

As a result, it may ultimately prove to be in United’s best interest to consider a contract termination if they cannot find a new home for him come January.

After his first-team expulsion, Sancho has become a very expensive liability for United. And as a result, it’s no surprise to see Ratcliffe exploring potential ways to find a solution.

Sancho contract termination would be big show of faith for Ten Hag

While such a move would need going over with a fine toothcomb, moreover since the player would ultimately also need a pay-off too, such a conclusion still remains some distance off from being finalised.

However, Ratcliffe is reportedly aware that such a move is possible, having seemingly taken inspiration from Arsenal, who have themselves walked down a similar path.

Indeed, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has a similar falling out with controversial striker Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng, who fell foul of a number of discplinary issues at the club. The former Borussia Dortmund striker was initially stripped off the captaincy, before Arteta and Co went one step further by removing him from the squad altogether, ultimately granting him a free-transfer move to Barcelona.

That would also be a big show of faith for Ten Hag, who has not so much struggled to show authority at United, but who has battled with many big egos at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag had a similar situation prior to that with Cristiano Ronaldo, who also had a very high-profile falling out with United, with the Portuguese superstar also seeing his contract terminated by mutual consent.

Of course by taking the same consequences with Sancho, it would also meaning United bidding farewell to the huge £73m fee they paid to Dortmund in the summer of 2021 for the 23-times capped England winger.

But the move would allow both club and player to move on from what has been a thoroughly-forgettable period.

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