Adrian Clarke analyses how Jadon Sancho can fulfil his potential following his loan move to Chelsea.
Player analysis - Jadon Sancho (Chelsea)
Chelsea’s deadline-day loan move for Sancho is a decision which surprised many, but when it comes to talent, the Blues have recruited one of European football’s finest ball carriers.
When the 24-year-old winger feels confident in his surroundings, he has looked a completely different player to the one in a Manchester United shirt.
Sancho's first Chelsea training session
Jadon’s first session at Cobham. 👊 pic.twitter.com/HS7otXDrfh
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 3, 2024
Sancho's stellar performances for Borussia Dortmund, en route to last season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) final, were a reminder of his capabilities.
So, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca holds the key to bringing the best out of him. The Italian’s style of football, encouraging his wide players to be positive in 1v1s, should suit Sancho.
Top-level dribbling
Memories of Sancho’s fabulous display against Paris Saint-Germain in last season's Champions League semi-final may well have played a part in Chelsea's decision to sign him this summer.
Razor-sharp in that match, he made 29 ball carries and completed 12 successful dribbles, the most-ever by an Englishman in the competition.
It was also the highest tally since Lionel Messi registered 16 successful dribbles against Man Utd back in 2008.
The most Sancho has ever completed for Man Utd is five. During his two full seasons at Old Trafford (2021/22 and 2022/23), Sancho averaged four attempted dribbles per 90 minutes, completing half of those.
In Europe for Dortmund last season, he was a completely different animal, recording dribbling stats that were more than twice as good.
When you read the names he out-performed with the ball, it should fill Chelsea supporters with optimism.
Sancho's dribbles compared UCL 23/24
| Player | Dribbles attempted/90 |
|---|---|
| Jadon Sancho | 9.11 |
| Vinicius Jr | 7.99 |
| Elias Achouri | 7.43 |
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 7.23 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 6.25 |
| Lamine Yamal | 6.06 |
| Player | Dribbles completed/90 |
| Jadon Sancho | 4.16 |
|---|---|
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 3.88 |
| Vinicius Jr | 3.7 |
| Lamine Yamal | 3.58 |
| Leroy Sane | 3.39 |
| Jamal Musiala | 3.27 |
*Min 500 minutes played
How Sancho compares
Chelsea have a number of high-profile wide players, so competition for starts under Maresca should be pretty fierce.
Provided that Cole Palmer is used as a No 10 (as he was in their last two matches), then Sancho will battle it out with Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Pedro Neto for game time.
How do their Premier League stats compare with Sancho’s since he joined Man Utd at the start of 2021/22?
Chelsea's man of the moment Madueke will feel confident he can hold down his place despite Sancho’s arrival.
Madueke has shown more of a goal threat, including his impressive hat-trick at Wolverhampton Wanderers in Matchweek 2, and has much better dribbling numbers in the Premier League than Sancho.
However, Madueke will need to improve on his creation of big chances and assists.
Fellow new boy Pedro Neto, who is happy to play on either wing, is an outstanding creator, using his pace to get into great positions.
This chart (above) highlights how many more crosses the Portuguese puts into the area compared with Sancho, who also has far fewer assists per 90. Neto may need to score more goals to guarantee a place, though.
Of the three players, Mudryk is perhaps the most evenly matched with Sancho. There is little to choose between them for goals, assists, big chances created and take-ons.
There is greater guile about Sancho inside the final third, but it is Mudryk who supplies far more deliveries into the box.
When you assess the raw data from Chelsea's wingers last season (versus Sancho’s 2022/23 campaign) there is not a great deal to choose between any of Maresca's wide options.
They have strengths in different areas, with Sancho only leading the way on chances created.
Sancho (22/23) v Chelsea wingers (23/24)
| Sancho | Madueke | Mudryk | Neto | |
| Mins | 1698 | 1054 | 1579 | 1518 |
| Mins/goal | 283 | 210.8 | 315.8 | 759 |
| xG* | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.25 | 0.21 |
| Goals/ assists* | 0.48 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.65 |
| Chances created* | 2.33 | 1.71 | 1.82 | 2.25 |
| Big chances created* | 0.32 | 0.17 | 0.34 | 0.42 |
| Dribbles completed* | 1.86 | 3.16 | 2.22 | 2.19 |
*per 90min
Taking his shot
In his last full season at Old Trafford, Sancho scored six goals from 21 starts.
While his performance levels could and should have been better – he was lacking confidence at the time – there was very little wrong with his shooting.
Cutting in from the left to good effect, his conversion rate in 2022/23 was a very impressive 42.9 per cent. His problem was a reluctance to shoot.
Sancho’s 14 unblocked shots were taken at a rate of one every 121 minutes.
Sancho’s shooting stats 22/23
| Total shots (excl. blocked) | 14 |
|---|---|
| Shots on target | 11 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Conversion rate | 42.9% |
| Mins per goal | 283 |
It will be fascinating to see where Maresca wants to use Sancho within his starting XI.
It feels as if Dortmund saw him as more of a right-sided option, with Man Utd often preferring him down the left.
When you study his shooting record as a Premier League player, Sancho is certainly more confident cutting inside to shoot from the left.
He has attempted remarkably few shots from the right angle of the penalty area.
Sancho’s talent is undeniable but aside from the odd flash of brilliance, he is yet to fulfil his potential in the Premier League
If Chelsea can restore his belief, Sancho can prove the doubters wrong.
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