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Jadon Sancho’s former coach Paul Simpson has reminded Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag that the Englishman has not become a bad player overnight. Simpson said that if Sancho can adhere to Ten Hag’s instructions, he could become an important part of the Red Devils.
Sancho, who was once dubbed to be the next big thing in football, has been going through a rough patch lately. He has scored only thrice in 14 games for Manchester United this season and was not included in England’s 26-man World Cup squad.
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The rise of Alejandro Garnacho and the arrival of Antony have made life difficult for Sancho. But Simpson, who coached the forward during his formative years at Manchester City, reckons there's plenty of time for him to bounce back.
Drawing parallels with Harry Maguire, who came good for England at the Qatar World Cup, Simpson told The Mirror:
“You could say the same about Harry Maguire - different age and everything - but everybody wrote him off last season and even this season. He's done really well for England, I hope he gets a chance at United if he's worthy of a place, and I'm quite sure that'll happen with Jadon because he hasn't become a bad footballer overnight."
He continued:
“He's obviously just hit the first bump in the road for a young person, and I hope he comes through it because he has got as much ability as any player; he is a fantastic footballer. It's now just about doing what Erik ten Hag wants him to do, getting himself into a better place, and I'm quite sure we'll see a lot more of Jadon Sancho.”
Sancho is currently working with coaches in the Netherlands to get back in top mental and physical shape. He's expected to miss the EFL Cup clash against Burnley on tonight (December 21) and might not return to action before January.
Cody Gakpo says he will think about Manchester United's offer
According to multiple sources, Manchester United are looking to bolster their attack and are keen to snap up Cody Gakpo in January. The Red Devils were heavily linked to the player in the summer as well, but a transfer did not materialise.
In a recent interview with Dutch news outlet NRC, Gakpo talked about the botched summer transfer to United, adding that he's still open to the idea of joining them. The PSV ace said:
“(The summer transfer window) was a tough period. I learned from that. I'm going to do it differently. What comes, that comes. Suppose you want to go from RKC (Waalwijk) to PSV, but that club is not coming. Then you can panic."
Gakpo continued:
"I thought about Manchester United, but when that didn't happen, I couldn't remember. And I started to doubt. Leeds United did come. Should I go there? I haven't heard from Manchester United yet. When they come, I'll think about it. I also seek the help of God in these decisions.”
The Manchester United target was in scintillating form for Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring thrice in five games.
