Manchester United allows Sancho to transfer for free! Hoping to sell only brought more trouble, and they won’t consider renewing even if he regains form.

British reports state that Manchester United has concluded on Sancho’s contract situation, deciding not to trigger his one-year priority extension clause in January or later. The 25-year-old England international will be free to engage with any foreign club next year and may even sign provisional agreements.

Last season, Sancho was loaned from Manchester United to Chelsea, making 41 appearances, scoring 5 goals and assisting 10 times, helping them win the Europa League. However, Chelsea chose not to exercise the buyout option, paying £5 million to avoid the obligation of a £25 million permanent transfer.

After recalling Sancho, Manchester United excluded him from the first team, enduring a summer drama, and eventually loaned him out to Aston Villa at the last moment. Now, two months later, Sancho’s performance has been disappointing, with 6 appearances without any goals or assists. His only headline was being substituted off in the second half after coming on as a substitute in the first half under Emery.

Sancho has not started a single Premier League match for Villa yet. According to Alex Crook from talkSPORT radio, Manchester United is willing to cut losses and let Sancho leave freely next summer rather than renew his contract and risk paying him a weekly wage of £250,000.

Of course, the Premier League has only completed 10 rounds this season, meaning Sancho still has at least 28 games to prove his worth. But reports indicate that Manchester United is determined to give up entirely and allow him to leave on a free transfer next summer, despite having spent £73 million to sign him from Dortmund in 2021.

The possibility of Villa paying a transfer fee to buy Sancho permanently is extremely slim. Sources told Football Insider that Villa will only consider a permanent deal if Sancho quickly integrates into the team, which clearly hasn’t happened yet. Moreover, Sancho was previously loaned to both Dortmund and Chelsea, with neither club willing to complete a permanent purchase, highlighting the underlying issues.

Manchester United predicts that even if Sancho regains form in upcoming matches, any club considering paying for him would hesitate. The club might face the same predicament as this summer, unable to find a buyer and forced to accept another loan. Therefore, letting him go for free seems to be a simpler solution.

English legend Alan Shearer criticized Sancho, accusing him of having a poor attitude and wasting his natural talent. Since his time at Manchester City, Sancho has had disciplinary problems, and his off-field lifestyle has often been questioned. He doesn’t seem to care much, especially since his high salary remains unaffected. One report shows that despite his lack of impact at Villa, Sancho has already earned nearly £2 million in wages!

Shearer said: “I don’t know what has happened with Sancho’s training or lifestyle, but he has an opportunity at Villa now. If he doesn’t succeed here, people will say he’s had so many chances. Opportunities are limited. I think being subbed on and then off again is humiliating. He hasn’t succeeded yet, but there’s only one way forward — hard work. Focus, adjust your mindset, and if he can do that, things will improve.”

The Manchester Evening News stated that few clubs spend £73 million on a signing and then choose not to activate the extension clause, allowing the player to leave on a free transfer. But this is Manchester United’s awkward situation with Sancho, and the reason for letting such an expensive player go for free now seems the most convincing.