Chelsea must pay £5m to back out of Sancho deal

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The 24-year-old player transferred to Chelsea on a loan for the entire season in August, which included a commitment to purchase for a fee ranging from £20 million to £25 million, contingent on the London club finishing at least 14th in this season's Premier League.

Currently, Chelsea stands in fourth place, with nine matches left in the season.

However, as initially mentioned by the Athletic, sources familiar with the agreement have now verified that there is a provision enabling Chelsea to return Sancho to Old Trafford if they pay Manchester United £5 million in compensation.

Chelsea has previously emphasized that they are not considering this option, but there remains uncertainty regarding Sancho's future at Stamford Bridge beyond this season.

Last season, Sancho moved to Dortmund on loan for the latter half, following a disagreement with former United manager Erik ten Hag related to the latter's public criticism of Sancho's training performances.

"In regards to Sancho, who now represents Chelsea and for whom we cover half his wages, we are looking at a £17 million buy option in the summer,” Ratcliffe stated.

Initially, the 24-year-old made a good impression post his transfer to Stamford Bridge, but his performance has since declined.

Sancho has provided just one assist in 18 appearances and scored the last of his two goals this season on December 8 against Tottenham.

Chelsea is reportedly aiming to acquire an additional winger and a striker during the summer transfer window.

Furthermore, they have secured Sporting's winger Geovany Quenda, aged 17, for £42 million, with that deal scheduled to be finalized in 2026.

Sancho's current contract with United extends until 2026, with United holding the option for an additional year.

'Sancho’s statistics depict a concerning scenario' - an analysis

While Cole Palmer's ongoing 10-match goal drought has garnered attention, Sancho's statistics present a more alarming situation for Chelsea.

He has managed only two goals in his 29 appearances since joining Chelsea.

Regarding assists, Sancho has only provided three since achieving three assists in his initial three matches with the team.

His performance metrics illustrate a troubling reality as they rank among the least impressive of all established attacking players at Chelsea.

Only Mykhailo Mudryk, a winger who has been provisionally suspended since mid-December for allegedly using a banned substance, has lower goal and assist statistics than Sancho.

Forward Joao Felix continues to outperform despite his loan to AC Milan during the January transfer window.

Sancho's underlying performance data is equally worrying, as none of his 19 attempts at crosses in the Premier League have connected with a teammate.