Jadon Sancho (foto: Getty Images)
Chelsea are now obliged to sign Jadon Sancho for €30m after activating a performance-triggered clause. But there’s still a way out—if they’re willing to pay Manchester United a €7m penalty.
The clause has officially kicked in—Chelsea are now contractually obliged to buy Jadon Sancho from Manchester United for €30 million at the end of the season. All because they finished higher than 15th in the Premier League standings.
But that doesn't mean the deal is completely sealed.
Sancho, who has struggled to make a real impact during his loan spell at Stamford Bridge, has only managed one goal and one assist in his last fifteen league matches. It’s far from the form that made him one of Europe’s hottest talents back at Borussia Dortmund.
United will be pleased either way. The club is set to pocket a decent sum, whether through the clause being fulfilled or through a €7 million compensation payment if Chelsea opt to walk away from the deal.
So far, Sancho hasn’t proven to be the player Chelsea can build around. That leaves coach Enzo Maresca and the club’s hierarchy with a dilemma: cut their losses and pay the penalty—or gamble on a player still trying to rediscover his best self.
United, meanwhile, could try to sell Sancho elsewhere if Chelsea back out. German clubs are reportedly monitoring the situation, especially Bundesliga sides who remember his golden years at Dortmund. But his Premier League-level wages remain a major stumbling block.
Whatever happens, the summer transfer window just got a little more complicated for all parties involved.