Jose Mourinho's theory about Jadon Sancho at Man United has just been proven wrong at Chelsea - opinion

03/24/2025 09:15 AM

Chelsea supporters would have been hoping that Jadon Sancho had the chance to work with Jose Mourinho when he was at the peak of his powers.

The Manchester United loanee has always been naturally gifted but he is yet to work with a truly elite manager who could get the best out of him.

Considering how Jose Mourinho managed to elevate Frank Lampard into a world-class midfielder when the pair first worked together when the now-Coventry City boss was 26, perhaps the Portuguese tactician could have also found the right system and words of advice to take Sancho’s game to another level.

But neither of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag or Enzo Maresca have been able to turn Jadon Sancho into a success at either Manchester United or Chelsea.

Mike Phelan compared Sancho to Eden Hazard after his promising start to life at Stamford Bridge. Things were certainly rosy for him at the start as Sancho admitted to being impressed by Maresca from day one but his performances have gone from bad to worse after initial signs of him redeeming himself.

• READ MORE: Why Jadon Sancho may have to explain himself to INEOS at Man Utd if Chelsea end up sending him back

Jose Mourinho backed Jadon Sancho but he’s not impressed at Chelsea

Previewing last season’s Champions League final between Dortmund and Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho was asked about his thoughts on Sancho and why his move to Manchester United did not work out.

Mourinho told TNT Sports: “I think sometimes we have to learn with experiences, which I tried always to do, to try to understand the nature of the player. Sometimes they have the talent but don’t have the mindset you want from a player. For sure, the kid [Sancho] made mistakes, that’s for sure, but for sure his manager was not able to get the best out of him.”

However, Jose Mourinho’s theory has somewhat been proven wrong as another manager in Enzo Maresca has done everything in his power to turn Sancho into a star at Chelsea and yet, he remains inarguably ineffective.

During Sancho’s best performance in a blue shirt in the West Londoners’ 4-3 win against Tottenham, Maresca felt it would suit him if Marc Cucurella played in close proximity to him — a tactic that worked to a tee as he thrives combining with his full-back and playing in tight spaces. Owen Hargreaves lauded Sancho’s showing against Brighton as well where a similar tactical ploy was in place, which suggests that Enzo Maresca had profiled him well from the very start.

But the FA Cup winner’s massive dip in his form suggests the setups he has played in cannot be deemed responsible for his underwhelming spell as a whole in England.

As an outsider looking in, perhaps Jose Mourinho felt Manchester United’s collective failing as an attacking side under Erik ten Hag contributed to Sancho’s struggles as well as the much-publicised disagreement between the pair.

Yet, Chelsea fans remain frustrated with Sancho as the reality is that he lacks the pace, athleticism and productivity to become a top winger in the Premier League.

Chelsea begin talks to sign winger amid Jadon Sancho doubts

For the Blues, the burning question is whether to sign the 24-year-old or pay a reported £5 million clause to terminate his loan deal.

On one hand, they would be hoping that the Camberwell-born forward rediscovers his form under Enzo Maresca and fulfils his potential.

However, TBR Football exclusively revealed that Chelsea are eyeing Nico Williams as they are considering not signing Sancho.

Williams is the anthesis of the 24-year-old, who is known for his directness, speed and match-winning ability in the final third.

Perhaps even Jose Mourinho would have been frustrated with Sancho, having worked with superstars out wide such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard to name a few.