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Erik ten Hag issued a brutal one-word response on Jadon Sancho. (Image: Getty)
Erik ten Hag has made it clear that the ball remained in Jadon Sancho's side of the court regarding his Manchester United return ahead of the summer transfer window. The Dutchman is seemingly still awaiting an apology from Sancho for their public row earlier this season, and he won't be opening the door to a second chance until he receives one.
Ten Hag banished the 24-year-old from his first-team squad at the start of September after he was accused of lying and scapegoating on social media.
He had excluded Sancho from the trip to Arsenal in late August, citing his attitude in training as the reason. The United winger deleted his post on X (formerly Twitter) but didn't privately apologise, resulting in his exile.
In January, Borussia Dortmund offered Sancho an escape route, and he returned to the Bundesliga giants on a short loan until the end of the season.
The England international has expressed his delight over his return to Germany, helping Dortmund reach the Champions League semi-finals with a win against Atletico Madrid earlier this week.
As the summer approaches, speculation surrounding Sancho's long-term future has intensified, with many questioning whether his form for the Black and Yellows will open the door for a reintegration at United.
However, Ten Hag has shut those suggestions down, insisting that the player's talent isn't what prompted his temporary exit in the winter.
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"No [his form won't impact his chances of a return]. But we know Jadon Sancho is a fantastic football player, so that is not a surprise for us. That is not the issue," Ten Hag explained on Friday.
The 54-year-old's problems with Sancho returned to the spotlight after last Saturday's underwhelming 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth.
United failed to win for the sixth time in seven Premier League games at the Vitality Stadium, effectively dashing their hopes of Champions League qualification this season.
Ten Hag hauled Alejandro Garnacho off at half-time and later admitted he wasn't happy with how Bournemouth was overrunning the right side of his team.
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The 19-year-old made headlines by taking to X and liking two posts criticising Ten Hag's decision to substitute him at the break and his post-match comments.
The likes were swiftly removed, and the Red Devils manager has confirmed the matter has been dealt with internally because, unlike Sancho, Garnacho said sorry.
He said: "Alejandro is a young player and has to learn a lot. He apologised for it and after that we move on."
Garnacho could start his 31st consecutive game on Sunday when United face Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley. Victory would secure a spot in back-to-back finals against Manchester City or Chelsea.
