A high-profile departure is on the cards.

Manchester United are poised to sever their final ties with Jadon Sancho this summer, bringing a turbulent three-and-a-half-year stay at Old Trafford to an anticlimactic close. Despite the club’s option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, senior figures have resolved to release the 25-year-old on a free transfer when his present contract expires on 30 June, sources have confirmed.

United paid Borussia Dortmund a headline-grabbing £73 million (US$100.7 million) in July 2021 for a player who had tormented Bundesliga defences to the tune of 49 goals and 60 assists across three seasons. Yet the anticipated fireworks never materialised in England: Sancho has managed only 12 goals and six assists in 83 competitive appearances for the Red Devils, numbers that have paled beside the fee and fanfare that accompanied his arrival.

Attempts to revitalise his career through temporary moves have likewise fizzled. A season-long loan at Chelsea last term carried a mandatory purchase clause set at £25 million, but the Londoners ultimately paid a penalty to scrap the arrangement. A subsequent loan to Aston Villa has produced just one goal in 31 outings this campaign, leaving suitors unconvinced that the winger still carries elite value.

With no transfer fee required in July and wage demands expected to tumble, Sancho’s representatives have fielded “many enquiries” about his availability. Borussia Dortmund, where he briefly rekindled form during the first half of 2024, have already opened discussions over a potential return. Sancho, who remains under contract at United for only a few more weeks, has yet to decide on his next destination, but Old Trafford officials are resigned to waving goodbye to a transfer that never lived up to its billing.