Erik ten Hag warned Manchester United transfer decision could ‘blow up in his face’

Erik ten Hag’s decision to forgive Jadon Sancho and welcome him back to Manchester United could ‘blow up in his face’, according to Dwight Yorke.

One of Ten Hag and Sancho were expected to leave Old Trafford this summer, with the Dutch boss close to being sacked during a largely miserable 2023-24 campaign and the England winger spending most of last season out on loan.

Manchester United gave serious thought to replacing Ten Hag as the struggling Red Devils slumped to their lowest-ever Premier League finish last term, but a spirited FA Cup final win over Manchester City and a lack of alternative options saw the club stick with the ex-Ajax manager.

Sancho, meanwhile, looked set to be sold after publicly falling out with Ten Hag last year and being sent on loan to his former club Borussia Dortmund, who were interested in a permanent deal.

But Sancho was pictured in pre-season training with his Manchester United team-mates last week after holding clear-the-air talks with Ten Hag and then started the club’s pre-season friendly against Rangers on Saturday.

Last week, Ten Hag confirmed he had ‘drawn a line’ under his spat with Sancho – which began after the 24-year-old was dropped and criticised for his output in training – and described him as a ‘terribly good player’.

Despite flattering to deceive at Old Trafford following a £73m move from Dortmund, Sancho looked somewhere near back to his best during his loan spell in Germany, helping the Bundesliga club reach the Champions League final.

Ex-Manchester United striker Yorke fears Ten Hag and Sancho’s resolution is only temporary, however, and says ‘fingers will start to be pointed’ if either party endures a slow start to the new season.

‘It’s a really bizarre scenario there with Jadon Sancho and one I don’t think either party expected to be in,’ he told BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League betting.

‘Ten Hag wasn’t meant to win the FA Cup, but he did. Jadon Sancho wouldn’t have expected Ten Hag to win, which would’ve led to the manager being sacked and his return.

‘But Sancho has got three more years on his contract and he’s one of the highest paid players. There’s only very few clubs around the world that will be able to afford his salary, so he’s not going anywhere so that’s caused a little bit of a dilemma.

‘How do you settle this? You have a man to man conversation and try to settle the whole disagreement.

‘The problem is, if they don’t get off to a good start and they’re losing football matches. I think fingers will start to be pointed at each other again.

‘It’s a situation to watch and it’s all well and good trying to make up but if things go belly up then these things can blow up in the face of the manager.’

Despite getting back in Ten Hag’s good books, Sancho could still leave Manchester United during the summer transfer window having emerged as a target for French champions PSG.

What has Erik ten Hag said about Jadon Sancho?

But Ten Hag may block PSG’s move for Sancho after backing the ex-Dortmund star to ‘contribute to our success’ next season.

‘We spoke well,’ Ten Hag said, lifting the lid on his talks with Sancho. ‘Anyone can make a mistake. If the player reflects well on that, then you draw a line and move on again.

‘This club needs good players, and one thing is for sure: Jadon is a terribly good player. I hope that the click still comes and that he will contribute to our success.’

Manchester United’s pre-season schedule

United suffered a deflating 1-0 defeat to Norwegian outfit Rosenborg in their first pre-season friendly before beating Scottish giants Rangers 2-0 at the weekend.

Manchester United face Premier League runners-up Arsenal in Los Angeles in the early hours of Sunday morning and then Spanish side Real Betis on Thursday.

Ten Hag’s side take on Liverpool in their final pre-season friendly before meeting Manchester City at Wembley on August 10 in the Community Shield final.

Manchester United’s Premier League campaign begins on August 16 with Marco Silva’s Fulham visiting Old Trafford.

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