Chelsea completes loan signing of Sancho from Man United with an obligation to buy

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea has completed the signing of Jadon Sancho from Manchester United to add another attacking weapon to its already bloated squad.

The deal for a one-year loan with an obligation to buy Sancho next year was worked out on Friday ahead of the European transfer deadline but not officially announced by the clubs until Saturday evening.

“I’m really excited to be here. London is where I grew up and I’m happy to be back,” Sancho said in a statement on the Chelsea website.

Chelsea will reportedly have to pay United 25 million pounds (about $33 million) next summer to make the transfer permanent.

Sancho joined United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, but after falling out with manager Erik ten Hag, the winger went on loan to the German club for the second half of last season and even played in the Champions League final.

He returned to United over the summer but will have a chance to reignite his career at Chelsea, though he will have a slew of attackers to compete with in the form of Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson.

Felix and Neto were also signed in this window for a combined $120 million, yet Chelsea’s owners still felt they needed another forward in the squad.

In total, Sancho is Chelsea's 12th signing of the transfer window.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer