Jadon Sancho will need to be patient after swapping Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund... but the club's 'new rocket' will get his chance

  • Jadon Sancho has moved from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund for £6m 
  • 17-year-old England youth international didn't want to sit on City's bench
  • Dortmund have handed Sancho the No 7 shirt worn by Ousmane Dembele
  • But Sancho may have to be patient in waiting for his chance at Dortmund 

Jadon Sancho is having to be patient. It may be a few weeks before he is able to take to the field as a Borussia Dortmund player.

As a 17-year-old, there are a few extra bureaucratic hoops for Sancho and his club to jump through before he is granted a playing permit. 

Until FIFA have confirmed that Dortmund's teaching facilities are up to scratch, Sancho will be stuck on the sidelines.

Jadon Sancho holds up his Borussia Dortmund shirt alongside sporting director Michael Zorc

Jadon Sancho holds up his Borussia Dortmund shirt alongside sporting director Michael Zorc

Sancho starred for Manchester City's youth teams but feared for his first-team chances

Sancho starred for Manchester City's youth teams but feared for his first-team chances

Not that that will worry Dortmund too much. For when Germany's second biggest club spent £6million on the England Under 17 star at Manchester City, they were already thinking long-term.


'We are convinced that we can help this player, who is still very young, to develop his game and, in the medium term, to become a great addition to our team,' said Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc at Sancho's presentation.

The message was clear: with this kid, we're taking it slowly.

Sancho himself should mark those words as much as anyone else. Having turned down a first-team contract at Manchester City because he wanted to be more than a bench-warmer, the England youngster has turned to Dortmund to find the game time he is after.

Sancho has been handed the Dortmund No 7 shirt as worn by Ousmane Dembele

Sancho has been handed the Dortmund No 7 shirt as worn by Ousmane Dembele

Sancho may have secured his move, but he'll have to be patient and await his chance 

Sancho may have secured his move, but he'll have to be patient and await his chance 

Profile 

Jadon Malik Sancho

Born: March 25, 2000 in London

Position: Forward

Youth career: Watford 2007-2015; Manchester City 2015-2017

Professional career: Borussia Dortmund 2017-

International career: England under-16 (11 caps, seven goals); England under-17 (15 caps, 11 goals)

Honours: UEFA European Under-17 Championship 2017 Golden Player award and Team of the Tournament

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It is a brave move, but he will need to be patient. The arrival of 'Dortmund's new rocket', as Bild have called him, may not be particularly explosive.

First and foremost, he is up against formidable competition for a place on Dortmund's wings. 

Even with superstar Marco Reus out injured, the likes of Christian Pulisic, Andre Schurrle and new signing Andriy Yarmolenko will all be ahead of Sancho in the pecking order.

He may have inherited Ousmane Dembele's No 7 shirt, but Sancho should not expect to inherit the young Frenchman's place in the first team. 

The likelihood that Sancho, like Dembele, will be leaving Dortmund for around £100m after just one season, remains slim.

'Can Sancho, this 17-year-old last minute signing from Manchester City, be a replacement for Dembele?' wrote Die Welt this week. 'No. And that is not what is expected of him.'

Sancho enjoys a moment with Pep Guardiola - but he didn't see his future with City

Sancho enjoys a moment with Pep Guardiola - but he didn't see his future with City

Sancho is considered to be one of the brightest talents in the England youth set-up

Sancho is considered to be one of the brightest talents in the England youth set-up

Quite so. Sancho has been left out of Dortmund's Champions League squad, and it may be some time before he gets his first Bundesliga start. He is not expected to burst out of the blocks, but to develop steadily.

Some have suggested that signing Sancho is a purely financial move from Dortmund. His value, after all, will not go down, and Dortmund can simply sit and wait to see how much profit they can make on one of Europe's biggest talents.

That is a little unfair. Dortmund are a financially savvy club, and no doubt feel they have invested well in Sancho, but they will also provide him with a wonderful footballing environment in which to work.

If he is able to overcome the tactical and cultural challenges which other British players have struggled with in Germany, then Sancho will be able to push into Peter Bosz's team.

Sancho takes on the Czech Republic defence in an England Under 18 friendly last year

Sancho takes on the Czech Republic defence in an England Under 18 friendly last year

Christian Pulisic is a perfect example of how much space there is at Dortmund for young players to flourish.

Over the course of the last two seasons, the young American has ceased to be another raw talent, and become a regular fixture in the Dortmund first team. It is sometimes difficult to remember that he is still only 18 years old.

The hope is that Sancho can follow the same path. But he will have to be patient. Even after his playing permit comes through, he will probably need to wait before he gets regular game time.

In the medium or long term, his chance will come. If he takes it, he will be walking in the footsteps of Dembele, Pulisic, Mario Gotze. But first: patience.