Manchester United set to sign Sancho: Decoding his crunch stats
What's the story
Manchester United are set to spend a whopping £73m deal to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old England international, who is currently on duty at the European Championships, will complete the formalities this month. Sancho enjoyed his time at Dortmund and dominated the numbers. The winger brings immense quality and will bolster United's attacking exploits. We decode the crunch numbers.
Contribution
Sancho scored 50 goals for Dortmund in 137 appearances
Sancho made his debut for Dortmund in the 2017-18 season and became a force from 2018-19 onwards. The last three seasons were pivotal for the youngster as he got plenty of goals and assists. Sancho featured in 137 matches for Dortmund, netting 50 goals in total. During his time there, he won the DFL Supercup in 2019 and the DFB-Pokal in 2021.
Key stats
Breaking down Sancho's exploits at Dortmund in the Bundesliga
Since the start of 2018-19, Sancho has been highly consistent. He clocked 37 goals in the Bundesliga and made 41 assists across three seasons. He ranks 10th in the list for most goals and assists combined among Europe's top players plying their trade in major leagues. He ranks third in terms of assists alone.
Comparison
Comparing Sancho's numbers against Rashford and Greenwood
When we compare Sancho to United's prolific forward Marcus Rashford across the last three seasons, the numbers are engrossing. Rashford, who generally plays as a left-winger and sometimes as a striker, has contributed with 46 goals and 37 assists since 2018-19. Meanwhile, Mason Greenwood, who has been utilized mainly on the right, has 29 goals and 10 assists across the last two seasons.
United
United now have dimension in the right side of attack
Sancho will be preferred on the right where he is set to face competition from the likes of Greenwood and Daniel James. To have both Sancho and Greenwood in the line-up, the latter could be drafted in as the central striker. However, Greenwood has enjoyed more success as the right-winger. What United get here is two young guns with promising attributes.
Our take
Analysis: Why Sancho could be the real deal?
Sancho has the qualities of an able creator, besides being a goal-scorer. With Bruno Fernandes being the main creator, United get another player in the mix to attract more goals. Sancho's outstanding dribbling abilities and sheer pace make him stand out. He can also make the right decisions in the final third. With the ability to create dangerous situations, Sancho could be a force.