JADON SANCHO has been a nightmare for defenders in German football over the last two years.
And the Dortmund winger has also been keeping the Bundesliga statisticians busy with his record-smashing as a teenager.
The England ace celebrates his 20th birthday on Wednesday ending an astonishing series of feats as a teen in Germany’s top flight, clocking up 27 goals and 33 assists in just 69 games.
Since the Bundesliga was formed in 1953 no player so young has ever managed such remarkable figures.
When he has suffered a setback — and there have been a few — the player has bounced back even stronger.
Sancho left Manchester City in 2017 as part of a three-year plan to play in Germany and was expected to return to England this summer.
Although Manchester United have led the chase for a player who will cost well over £100million, Chelsea have become increasingly confident they could entice Sancho back to his home city of London.
However, the coronavirus — like with everything else — could have a major impact on the transfer market.
And there is now a belief at Dortmund the mayhem and fixture backlog could see him remain at the club for one more year, until 2021.
German legend Lothar Matthaus reckons another ideal destination for Sancho would be Bayern Munich.
Jadon Sancho has broken a host of records in GermanyCredit: AFP or licensors
Matthaus, a Bayern legend, said: “He’ll probably go back to England. But what does he want at Chelsea or United?
“They may not even be playing in the Champions League next year.
“I could very well imagine Sancho at Bayern, also because he can play on both wings.
“I saw him for the first time in the Under-17 European Championships.
“I was on the treadmill in the gym and the England game against Norway was on the screen in front of me.
Now, he is doing well at Dortmund. And getting a player from England for little money is like winning the lottery.
Lothar Mathaus
“I pressed stop on the treadmill after 15 minutes because I noticed one player — left side offensive for England. He was dribbling and passing so quickly.
“I called my agent to ask who that was and where he came from. The SMS came back five minutes later and read: ‘Sancho, Manchester City.’
“Now, he is doing well at Dortmund. And getting a player from England for little money is like winning the lottery. He not only helps Dortmund, he also helps the Bundesliga beyond the borders.
The 20-year-old has been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Man UnitedCredit: PA:Empics Sport
“The Bundesliga is also gaining in importance in England.”
Sancho has scored 14 goals in the League this season with only Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski (25) and Leipzig’s Timo Werner (24) netting more.
The England player is second in the assists table with 15, one behind Bayern’s Thomas Muller. Last season, as well as scoring 12 goals, Sancho topped the assists chart with 14.
Since records were started in 1992-93, only one other Dortmund player had ever notched up more assists in a season — Henrikh Mkhitaryan in 2015-16 with 20.
In December, Sancho became the youngest player in Bundesliga history to score 22 goals, passing the record of former Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Horst Koppels.
It was a record which had stood since 1968.
And last month against Union Berlin, he became the first-ever player in the German top-flight to score 25 goals for a club before his 20th birthday. For Sancho, though, this season has not always been straightforward, and Dortmund have been forced to give him some tough love.
Time-keeping appears to be a weakness and matters came to a head when he returned to Germany 24 hours late after the international break in October.
The former Man City youngster is now an England regularCredit: Reuters
He was fined £86,000 and dropped for the next game, which was a big deal when you consider he was the club’s only ever-present player last campaign.
But to Sancho’s credit, his most dazzling form followed his worst game.
In November, he was substituted after just 36 minutes in the league match against Bayern because he was having a shocker.
Coach Lucien Favre pulled no punches. He said: “I had to go on what I was seeing and, to be honest, it was not good enough.”
Sancho also blotted his copybook in January when he spent some of the German winter break in Dubai.
He infuriated the club by posting a video of himself flying out on a private jet while eating ‘gold steak’ costing over £200.
He was also criticised by the German media. Bild said he was “ruining his reputation” while Die Welt suggested it was “difficult to stomach for the public” despite the winger still being free to do what he likes with his money.
Sancho was called in by the club’s top brass and although not fined, warned to have a little more self awareness.
On the senior international stage, Sancho has played 11 times for the Three Lions after making his debut in the October 2018 behind-closed-doors Nations League game in Croatia.
His best form in an England shirt is yet to come, though.
The big question is how much English fans will see of the 20-year-old over the next year in terms of where he is playing domestically.
When you consider Jurgen Klopp’s front three at Liverpool probably needs freshening up long term, the ideal location for Sancho is not United or Chelsea.
The place he should go to is Anfield.
In Germany, Sancho is being billed as potentially the best player in Europe but he will have to pick his next club carefully while ensuring he behaves impeccably.
With the huge price tag will come even more focus and responsibility — and he is not a kid any more.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
