Manchester United have released Jadon Sancho, letting the £73m signing leave on a free transfer after a costly five-year spell.
United opted not to activate their option to extend the England winger’s contract by a year – which could have given them some resale value, but only if they can sell him.
So Sancho joins Casemiro and Tyrell Malacia in leaving Old Trafford as men signed for a combined £148m will all depart on free transfers.
Sancho only made 83 appearances for United, scoring 12 goals and getting six assists, and remains their fourth-most expensive signing ever.
He has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons out on loan at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and then Aston Villa, and has only made one appearance for United – in the 2024 Community Shield – since August 2023.
His last Premier League game for United came almost three years ago before a falling-out with former manager Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman dropped him from the squad for a game at Arsenal, criticising Sancho’s efforts in training, while he responded by saying he was being made a scapegoat. Ten Hag banished Sancho from first-team training as neither backed down before he rejoined Dortmund in January 2024.
He has gone on to play in European finals in three years with three clubs – Dortmund in the Champions League, Chelsea in the Conference League and Villa in the Conference League, winning the last two.
Chelsea paid a £5m penalty clause in their loan agreement to avoid buying Sancho while Villa are not expected to buy him after he only started nine league games in his year playing for Unai Emery.
Dortmund have said they are interested in signing Sancho for a third time this summer.
Casemiro had already confirmed his departure, four years after joining from Real Madrid for £63m. The 34-year-old scored 26 goals in 160 games and was an integral part of the United team that finished third this season.
However, left-back Malacia, another Ten Hag buy, only made 11 appearances in his last three seasons, following 39 in his debut year at Old Trafford. He cost £12m.
