The return of Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund has, so far, been a tremendous success for both the Englishman and Borussia Dortmund. Despite suggestions that Sancho would not be the right fit at this moment in time for Die Schwarzgelben, he has already been a catalyst for change at the club, with BvB scoring goals for fun with the 23-year-old in the side.
Stellar performances away to Darmstadt and FC Köln has already seen Sancho register two assists back in the Bundesliga, leaving the Westfalenstadion awaiting the homecoming of their English darling with bated breath. In an interview with Sky Germany, former chief scout at Borussia Dortmund, Sven Mislintat, explained how re-signing Sancho would have been a no-brainer for the club:
“Jadon Sancho was the last transfer that Michael Zorc and I made together. You have to sign Jadon. On the one hand, he is a sensational guy and has a good heart, and on the other hand, he is an absolute difference-maker in the Bundesliga if you get him, as he brings rhythm to the game. If you have access to a player like that and your budget allows it, it’s a no-brainer. I’m a bit negatively surprised that Erik ten Hag didn’t get access to him, because Manchester United would have benefited from this quality too. I’m glad he’s back at BVB.”
However, while it has been spectacular to see Sancho at his brilliant best, if Bayern Munich had their own way, then it is highly likely that the relationship between Sancho and Dortmund would be entirely different. This is because Mislintat later revealed that Der Rekordmeister attempted to steal Sancho away from Dortmund on deadline day in 2017:
“When it came to the transfer, we had trustworthy discussions with him, his family, and his agent right from the start. A great story, even though we had tough competition. FC Bayern tried with maximum effort to intervene relatively late on deadline day, but Jadon, and this shows his quality, didn’t think about it for a second and kept his commitment.”
While the transfer never came to fruition, it is interesting to think about what could have been if Sancho had elected to join Bayern. Regardless, the Englishman marvelled in his first stint in Germany, and he is looking to do so once again.
It feels as though Sancho and Dortmund were always meant to be.
GGFN | Will Shopland
