Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has already warned Jadon Sancho about the standards expected of him after his arrival from Manchester United.
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Sancho eager to revive careerMaresca "loves" winger's styleWarns him to "work hard"WHAT HAPPENED?
Sancho arrived in west London last month on an initial loan deal, with an option for the transfer to become permanent for a reported fee between £20 million (€23m/$26m) and £25m (€29m/$32m) next summer. This price tag is significantly lower than the hefty £73 million ($101m) United paid Borussia Dortmund for the England international just three years ago and if the English winger could do justice to his potential at Stamford Bridge, it would "be a steal" for Chelsea.
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Despite once being considered one of the most promising talents in European football, Sancho’s time at Old Trafford was marked by inconsistency, and his performances fell well short of expectations. His return to Borussia Dortmund on loan in the latter half of last season offered glimpses of his former self, culminating in an appearance in the Champions League final. And as he embarks on his Chelsea career, Sancho faces the daunting task of securing both his reputation and form.
WHAT MARESCA SAID
Maresca has made it clear that he sees potential in the 24-year-old winger but expects him to grind it out at Cobham to earn his starting berth.
"I love Jadon, I love the players we have. The reason Jadon is here is because I love him, otherwise, he would not be here," Maresca stated. "We have Jadon, Joao [Felix], these kind of players. Before they joined the club, I had a chat with them, and one of my messages to them was if you come here and don’t work properly then you are not going to play. Before they arrived, the message for them was clear. For Jadon. For Joao.
“But the reason why I’m speaking to you is because I really like you. If you come here in the way that we want, we are happy. But if you come there and don’t work hard, it’s better if you don’t come.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Sancho’s struggles at United came to a head last September when he clashed publicly with manager Erik ten Hag. Following this public fallout, Sancho’s involvement at United was limited and his only appearance for the club after the Arsenal incident came in the Community Shield against Manchester City, where he entered the match as a late substitute but failed to make an impact, even missing a penalty in the eventual shootout loss.
However, Maresca does not want to dwell on the past and said: "I don’t have any idea about what happened with Erik. I can just judge the player in the weeks he has been with us and he has been perfect. I don’t consider Jadon a risk because I consider Jadon as a player who can help us. With the way we play, he is that kind of player to help us a lot, especially in the last third when we arrive there so many times and need more quality, more patience, more accuracy."