Chelsea completed their tenth signing of the summer recently by securing a deal to bring Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge, with the former loanee returning to the club on a permanent deal from Atletico Madrid.
This took Enzo Maresca’s spending over the £200m mark this summer. The question now is, will there be any more arrivals before the transfer window slams shut on Friday evening?
Chelsea eyeing move for Premier League outcast
According to TEAMtalk, Jadon Sancho still has an uncertain future at Old Trafford, having been left out of the squad to face Brighton and Hove Albion in their second Premier League tie of the season.
Juventus are seemingly interested in the United winger, but the report also states that Chelsea are looking to bring him to London, as they could be close to selling Noni Madueke during the window.
No talks have been held between the Blues and United, however, but if Maresca wants to secure his services, he had best start acting swiftly.
The £250k-per-week winger has endured a torrid time of it in Manchester since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021. Could a move south help him return to the form he showcased with Dortmund?
Jadon Sancho’s season in numbers
Having made just three substitute appearances under Erik ten Hag last term, Sancho re-signed for Dortmund on a six-month loan deal, picking up where he left off in Germany.
In 21 matches for the Bundesliga side, the Englishman scored three goals while registering three assists, helping the club reach their first Champions League final in 11 years, although they lost to Real Madrid.
Metric
Bundesliga
Champions League
Goals
2
1
Assists
2
0
Big chances created
4
2
Key passes per game
1.8
1.3
Successful dribbles per game
2.6
3.7
Among his teammates, Sancho ranked second in the squad for key passes per game (1.8) in the top flight, along with ranking first for successful dribbles per game (2.6), as he underlined his class. Not bad for someone who had played just 14 league matches.
Could he follow in the footsteps of a former Chelsea icon, however? As Sancho was previously hailed as “the next Eden Hazard” back in 2020 by former Liverpool star Steve Nicol.
While his form has deserted him since moving to the Premier League with United, his brief stint back with Dortmund proves there is still a potentially world-class player there, he just needs the right environment.
Hazard made 352 appearances for the Blues in seven years, scoring 110 goals and grabbing 85 assists during that time. Sancho may not reach those sorts of levels should he move to Chelsea, but if given a free role on the left wing, he could offer a dangerous threat going forward.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Sancho ranks in the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 (3.63) over the previous 365 days.
This clearly showcases how good he is at dribbling and taking on opposition defenders, something which made him stand out so well at Dortmund.
Maresca may be taking a big gamble on signing the 24-year-old, but if it pays off, it could be a wonderful signing, no doubt about it.
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