Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has claimed Jadon Sancho lost his focus amid links with Manchester United, admitting the winger had “already prepared for a change”.
Sancho’s future at Westfalenstadion was the subject of much speculation during the summer transfer window after United identified the 20-year-old as their primary target.
Negotiations went on for a few months but Dortmund ultimately stood firm on their €100 million (£90m/$123m) valuation of the winger, which the Red Devils refused to meet due to the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Watzke thinks talk of a potential move to Old Trafford served to distract a talismanic figure who had previously played without any pressure on his shoulders.
“Subconsciously, Jadon had probably already prepared a little for a change,” the Dortmund chief told Kicker. “I think he had at least thought so much about it that he lost his ease. I have found him trying very hard for weeks.”
Watzke added on Sancho’s struggles this season: “The biggest difference is that he used to not think about his next ball action. Now he thinks about it, and the tenth of a second that he misses is often exactly the one in which the opponent is already on his feet. Continue reading