Chelsea pay £5m penalty to avoid signing Sancho permanently

Chelsea have decided not to sign winger Jadon Sancho on a permanent basis and will instead pay a £5 million penalty to return the player to Manchester United.

Sancho had joined Chelsea on loan last summer after falling out with then-United manager Erik ten Hag. 

Despite helping Chelsea secure the Europa Conference League title, the Blues chose not to trigger the purchase clause tied to their league position.

Sancho’s loan arrangement did not include a fee, and Chelsea only covered half of his reported £300,000-per-week wages.

The deal included an obligation to buy the player for around £25 million if Chelsea finished above 14th in the Premier League — a condition they met.

However, the club and Sancho’s representatives failed to agree on a contract, largely due to issues surrounding the player taking a pay cut.

Manchester United, who signed Sancho for £73 million from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, are now open to offloading him permanently. The 25-year-old forward has one year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, and the club still owes Dortmund £17 million. 

Despite recent signs of form — including a goal in the 4-1 Conference League final win over Real Betis — Sancho is not expected to feature for Chelsea in this month’s Club World Cup in the United States.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have turned their attention to strengthening other areas of their squad and are showing interest in France and AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

The 29-year-old has emerged as a serious transfer target, with reports suggesting he is open to a move to Stamford Bridge.

Maignan has been a key figure at Milan since joining from Lille in 2021 and has served as France’s first-choice goalkeeper since Hugo Lloris’s retirement from international duty in 2023.

The search for a reliable long-term goalkeeper continues for Chelsea, who have struggled to settle on a first-choice option since the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world-record £71 million in 2018.

Edouard Mendy briefly replaced Kepa but left for Al-Ahli in 2023. Kepa has since spent time on loan at Real Madrid and Bournemouth, while Robert Sanchez, Djordje Petrovic, and Filip Jorgensen have all had inconsistent spells between the posts.

Chelsea’s revolving door of goalkeepers highlights the need for a stable presence in that position. Petrovic was loaned to Strasbourg last season, while both Sanchez and Jorgensen failed to fully convince.

With a rebuild underway at Stamford Bridge, Maignan could be a vital addition as the club aims to return to domestic and European prominence.