“He spoke to me on the phone about this project” - New Chelsea signing Jadon Sancho names individual who ‘drew’ him to the Blues

English winger Jadon Sancho said that Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was the reason for his move to Stamford Bridge. Sancho joined the Blues on a loan deal from Manchester United on the summer transfer window deadline day.

After completing his loan move for the 2024-25 campaign, Sancho said (via Fabrizio Romano on X):

"Enzo Maresca really drew me to the project. I knew him from his time with Pep Guardiola in Manchester City. He spoke to me on the phone about this project and what he was building here, and for a young player like myself it’s exciting and I can’t wait to get started."

At Chelsea, Sancho will have to compete for a starting spot with a plethora of talented young wingers. Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Angelo Gabriel, Pedro Neto and Joao Felix will all be in contention with Sancho for just two positions on the pitch.

Maresca held various positions at Sancho's boyhood club, Manchester City. He was initially the coach of their Elite Development Squad (2020-21) before moving to a head coaching role at Italian side Parma.

He returned as an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola in June 2022, playing a crucial role in the Cityzens' treble-winning 2022-23 campaign.

"It's a great feeling" - Jadon Sancho expresses excitement after Chelsea move, names Blues legends as his idols

Jadon Sancho was over the moon after completing a loan move from Manchester United to Chelsea. The young attacker said he was happy to be back in his hometown, London, and named a few Blues legends as his idols.

Speaking after putting pen to paper on his one-year contract, Sancho said (via Express):

"Chelsea is iconic. My idols growing up were Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard and now I have the opportunity to play for this club like them. It's a great feeling. They're signing me for a reason and to contribute to the team, and I’m ready to do that."

Extolling Enzo Maresca's style of play, which has the wingers playing a crucial role, Sancho added:

"I enjoy his style of play. The wingers when they get on the ball, he loves them to go one versus one and be direct. We play a lot of one-twos with the 10s and the striker combination plays. It’s very attractive and it’s a style that I play."

Sancho could make his Chelsea debut in the Premier League match against London rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday (Sept. 1).