At 17, Jadon Sancho was on the cusp of breaking through into the first-team picture at Manchester City and work under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola.
City had been so impressed by Sancho’s development in the youth teams that they were fast-tracking him into the senior set up and hand him the opportunity to announce himself on the world stage.
In a surprise twist, Sancho ended the summer of 2017 at a new club, under new management and in a different country.
A flurry of miscommunications with City saw Sancho and his entourage engineer a move to the Bundesliga and to Borussia Dortmund – where the teenager finally took his chance.
Within months, Sancho became a massive hit and would eventually leave Dortmund four years later as one of Europe’s brightest young talents.
Return to the Premier League
Although an underwhelming return to the Premier League followed with Manchester United, Sancho had begun to rediscover some of his best form after he was shipped back out to Dortmund on loan last season.
And still just 24, the England international is only now starting to reach his peak in terms of physicality and endurance.
Chelsea seem to have pounced at exactly the right time with Enzo Maresca still moulding his front line. The Italian’s no-nonsense approach could be exactly what’s required to ensure he gets the very best out of Sancho.
Similarly at Dortmund, Edin Terzic had been quite ruthless in his approach towards his players with Sancho flourishing in both spells at the Bundesliga giants.
Competition for places at Chelsea is rife but Sancho’s ability to carry the ball up the pitch and his trickery in 1v1 situations, gives Maresca a great option.
His link play with a central striker is also an under-appreciated part of his game and one Chelsea will be keen to exploit in partnership with Nicolas Jackson.
This feels like a critical time for Sancho to make his mark on the Premier League. There were glimpses of brilliance at United but this feels like a naturally good fit.
Chelsea fans will be hoping the one-time Manchester City academy star will make a significant impact in a slightly different shade of blue.
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