Manchester United star Jadon Sancho could shake up the balance of power under Erik ten Hag if he finds a new home up top. The Red Devils boss has utilised the former Borussia Dortmund winger as a false nine during pre-season, with three of his team-mates left vulnerable as a result.
Having failed to find his feet since signing from Dortmund in 2021, Sancho was shifted from the wing to a deep-lying forward role against Leeds United, Lyon and Arsenal during pre-season.
The 23-year-old only managed one goal in those three matches, but Ten Hag has talked up the prospect of him featuring centrally when the competitive season gets underway. "He is doing well, also in that role," said the Dutchman. "I think Jadon is the best in central positions where he can get involved, and also when he plays in wide areas."
Amid the prospect of Sancho fighting for minutes up top next season, Express Sport takes you through three players who could lose out...
Erik ten Hag has experimented with Jadon Sancho as a deep-lying forward in pre-season (Image: GETTY)
Anthony Martial
The Frenchman would have been given plenty more game time as a central striker last campaign if he remained fit. With loanee Wout Weghorst now out of the picture, Martial is back on pole in the fight to be Ten Hag's leading man in 2023/24.
But persistent injury issues have prevented the forward from gaining any kind of momentum in recent years. Another spell on the sidelines could give Sancho the opportunity to pinch his spot on a longer-term basis, particularly if Ten Hag favours the way his side plays with a central attacker that tends to drop deep.
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The jury is still out on exactly where Rashford will play next season. The United academy product was devastating coming in from the left wing last term, racking up 30 goals across all competitions, but some expect him to feature more regularly as a central striker given the make-up of Ten Hag's current squad.
Sancho providing extra competition through the middle could therefore impact Rashford's game time if he is drafted in from out wide. Although the 25-year-old was on fire in 2022/23, patchy spells of form have been commonplace throughout his career, and another one could leave him vulnerable to being dropped from the first XI.
Anthony Martial's game time could suffer if Jadon Sancho finds a new home up front (Image: Getty)
Rasmus Hojlund*
The only player on this list with an asterisk, Hojlund is not a United player... yet, anyway. That being said, there is little doubt that Ten Hag will welcome a new striker at some point during the summer, and the Dane is at the top of his wish list.
With only nine goals in Serie A last season, there is every possibility that Hojlund will need time to warm up to the Premier League if he is thrown straight in at the deep end, and a prolonged period of acclimatisation could leave him susceptible to Sancho taking his spot.
