"We need more" - Enzo Maresca comments on Jadon Sancho's future as Manchester United wait for Chelsea decision
Enzo Maresca wants to see more from Jadon Sancho before Chelsea decide his future at the club. He has stressed that the goals and the assist numbers need to improve from him, along with other forwards.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Fulham match on Sunday (April 20), Maresca insisted that it was not the time to talk about next season and Sancho's future. He said that everyone needs to step up and added that Andrey Santos was on the same boat. He told Evening Standard (via Tribal Football):
"The only thing we said to Jadon, and all our offensive players, is that we need more, in terms of numbers, goal and assist. So Jadon, as you said in the last games, is doing better. But we need goal and assist from Nico (Jackson), from Cole (Palmer), from Noni (Madueke), from Pedro (Neto), from Enzo (Fernandes) as well."
"(Jadon's future) is the same as with Andrey Santos. In this moment, I'm not thinking at all about next year or the players that can be here next year. I'm just thinking how we can get the best from them to finish the season very strong. We know Andrey is doing well. In this moment, we are just focused about how we finish this season. Then when we finish this season, we're going to start to think about next season."
Sancho has scored once and assisted as many times in his last two matches. However, the goal against Ipswich Town during the week was his first in 125 after scoring against Tottenham.
When Glen Johnson urged Chelsea not to keep Jadon Sancho beyond this season
Glen Johnson spoke to Betano earlier this year and claimed that Chelsea should not sign Jadon Sancho permanently. He believes that the Englishman has been too inconsistent and is not a player worth signing. He said via Standard:
“Jadon Sancho started well at Chelsea, but the problem with him is that he’s too inconsistent. On his day when he’s up for it, he can look like a world beater, but it just isn’t happening often enough to justify the transfer for Chelsea at the moment. If Chelsea have the opportunity to go back to Manchester United at the end of the season and not pay the transfer fee for the deal, they may see that as a better outcome for them from a financial standpoint."
Chelsea have the option to sign Sancho permanently for £25 million. Since they loaned him in with an obligation to buy, they need to pay £5 million to Manchester United to opt out of it.
