Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly discussing a potential swap deal involving Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling. According to sources, Sporting director Dan Ashworth is in talks with the Blues over a deal that would see Sancho head to Stamford Bridge and Sterling make the move to Old Trafford.

The Blues are open to a player going to United as part of a potential deal for Sancho and believe Sterling would be a good option given he has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge

Sancho’s arrival at Manchester United in the summer of 2021 was met with enormous excitement and expectation. Having starred for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, United fans saw Sancho as the missing piece to reignite the club’s attack.

He was one of Europe’s most highly regarded young talents, known for his dribbling, creativity, and ability to unlock defenses. His signing represented a significant outlay for the club, costing around £73million.

However, Sancho’s time at United has been far from smooth. His first season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and later Ralf Rangnick was underwhelming.

Although he showed flashes of brilliance, he struggled to consistently replicate the form he had shown in Germany.

His adaptation to the Premier League proved to be more difficult than expected, with Sancho appearing to struggle with the physicality and pace of the English game.

Despite moments of individual quality, his impact on the team was limited, with his numbers — just five goals and three assists across all competitions in the 2021-22 season — reflecting his struggles.

The 2022-23 season under Erik ten Hag saw some improvement, as the Dutch manager placed a strong emphasis on team discipline, pressing, and structured attacking play.

Sancho started the season brightly but again fell into inconsistency. Ten Hag, known for his strict approach to coaching, began to question Sancho’s attitude and work rate in training.

As the season wore on, Sancho’s role in the team diminished, and he found himself spending more time on the bench than in the starting lineup.

Tensions reached a breaking point in September 2023 when Ten Hag publicly criticised Sancho’s training performances, citing them as the reason for his exclusion from the matchday squad.

Sancho responded with a now-infamous social media post, directly contradicting Ten Hag’s comments and insisting that he had been a ‘scapegoat.’ This public fallout created a media storm and severely strained the player-coach relationship.

The situation left Sancho’s future at the club in serious doubt. Reports surfaced of disciplinary issues and disagreements between Sancho and Ten Hag, with the player even being banished from first-team training.

Sancho’s defiance of Ten Hag’s authority was seen as a breach of the manager’s emphasis on discipline and unity, values that Ten Hag has been keen to instill since arriving at United.

With the club backing the manager, Sancho’s refusal to apologise created a stalemate, leading to speculation that he could be sold or loaned out in the upcoming transfer window.

However, the row was said to be squashed, and Sancho travelled with United to Brighton for their second Premier League match of the season on Saturday. But, he was left out of the squad as the Red Devils were beaten 2-1 by the Seagulls.

Therefore, questions have remained over Sancho’s future at the club, despite Man United boss insisting he had ‘drawn a line’ under their row – with many believing he will leave this summer.

Chelsea are not the only club interested in Sancho. Juventus have been weighing up a loan move for the United player, which could have also included an obligation to buy the winger for £40million.

Chelsea are hoping they can beat the Italian giants to his signature but they need to offload as many as six players before a deal becomes feasible for them, with the club still pursuing a striker this summer.

The Blues are open to a player going to United as part of a potential deal for Sancho and believe Sterling would be a good option given he has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Raheem Sterling’s move to Chelsea in the summer of 2022 from Manchester City was seen as a significant coup for the London club.

Sterling, a multiple Premier League winner with City and a key figure in England’s national team, arrived at Stamford Bridge with a proven pedigree and the expectation that he would help elevate Chelsea’s attack.

However, much like Jadon Sancho at Manchester United, Sterling’s time at Chelsea has been plagued by inconsistency and underperformance.

His debut season in 2022-23 coincided with a turbulent period for Chelsea, as the club underwent managerial changes and struggled to find any real cohesion or identity on the pitch.

Thomas Tuchel, the manager who signed Sterling, was sacked early in the season, and his replacement, Graham Potter, failed to bring stability. The constant tactical changes and lack of continuity in the squad affected Sterling’s form, and he struggled to adapt to the various systems employed by the different managers.

Sterling, who had thrived in Pep Guardiola’s structured and dominant Manchester City side, found himself in a Chelsea team lacking direction and consistency. His performances reflected the overall disarray at the club.

Although he remained one of Chelsea’s more experienced players, Sterling often looked isolated and ineffective in front of goal. His numbers suffered as a result, with his goals and assists dropping significantly compared to his time at Manchester City.

The appointment of Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2023 was meant to signal a fresh start for Sterling and the club as a whole.

Initially, there were signs of improvement, with Sterling playing a more prominent role in the early stages of the season. However, Chelsea’s form remained inconsistent, and Sterling’s performances continued to fluctuate.

One of the key issues with Sterling’s time at Chelsea has been his positioning. At City, he thrived playing as a winger in a highly structured system where his role was clearly defined.

At Chelsea, he has been deployed in a variety of positions — as a winger, forward, and even as a false nine — which has made it difficult for him to find a rhythm. The lack of a settled attacking system has been a major factor in his struggles, as Chelsea’s overhauled squad has yet to gel into a cohesive unit.

Additionally, Chelsea currently have an eye-watering 43 players on their books, meaning space under Enzo Maresca is limited.

Therefore, a move to Old Trafford could be beneficial for both Chelsea and Sterling as the Blues are still looking to sign a new striker.