Chelsea decide to cancel Man Utd transfer agreement and sell two more players
Enzo Maresca already has one eye on the summer window.
Chelsea are reportedly planning to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United following his underwhelming loan spell and are ready to cut ties with two more stars.
Sancho hoped to revive his career in west London following a dismal spell at Old Trafford in which he flattered to deceive on the pitch and fell out with United boss Erik ten Hag.
A boyhood Chelsea fan, Sancho felt Stamford Bridge would be the perfect stage to showcase the form that made him one of the brightest talents in Europe and an England regular not too long ago.
But the 25-year-old has continued to flatter to deceive, scoring just two goals and often finding himself out of the team as Enzo Maresca picks between a number of dynamic forwards.
Chelsea agreed to sign Sancho on a permanent transfer for between £20-25m when the loan deal with Manchester United was struck.
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But it emerged last month that Chelsea could effectively cancel the agreement and send Sancho back to Old Trafford by paying United £5m.
When that clause in the contract was revealed, reports suggested Chelsea were still planning to sign Sancho permanently at the end of the season.
However, The Sun claim Chelsea are now reconsidering and preparing to offload Sancho back to fallen Premier League giants Manchester United.
They say Maresca is working on the likelihood that Sancho – and two other attacking players – will not be at Stamford Bridge next season.
Chelsea’s depth of options on both flanks has reportedly convinced the club to end Sancho’s stay at Stamford Bridge, while Mykhailo Mudryk will also be moved on, providing the club can find a suitor.
Mudryk, who completed a big-money move to Chelsea in January 2023 after being heavily linked with Arsenal, has not featured since the end of November.
In December, 24-year-old Ukraine international Mudryk was provisionally suspended by the FA after testing positive for a banned substance.
But even before this enforced absence, Mudryk had proved to be a big-money flop, scoring just ten goals in three seasons at the club.
Chelsea are also keen to move on Christopher Nkunku following his struggles in west London.
Nkunku was linked with moves to Bayern Munich and Manchester United in January and has failed to win over Blues boss Maresca since the winter window closed.
Discussing Sancho’s future last week, Maresca said: ‘I’m completely focused about nine games, two months to go, I’m completely focused about that.
‘Then what happens in summer, we’ll see. The Jadon situation doesn’t change. In terms of numbers, he could do better, no doubt. It is not just about Jadon but we have more players in the same situation.’
Chelsea, currently fourth in the Premier League, were held to a goalless draw by west London rivals Brentford on Sunday.
Maresca’s side, who have scored just three goals in their last five games, are preparing for a Europa Conference League quarter-final against Polish side Legia Warsaw.
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