Why Real Madrid must still show interest in Jadon Sancho

There is no doubt that Real Madrid‘s top transfer target this summer will be Kylian Mbappe. They need his star power, they need him on the left side of the attack, and, most of all, they need his goals. But Real have known for a while that they cannot put all their eggs in one basket, especially with how volatile PSG can be at the negotiating table. We simply don’t know how hardline their stance will be, though there is optimism a deal can get done.

While there are not many strong “Plan B” options to Mbappe and certainly nobody else who brings his goal-scoring quality from a wide forward position, there is one young superstar who stands out as another great option. And he is a Borussia Dortmund player.

It is not Erling Haaland, though, who catches my eye. Haaland is a wonderful player and a goal-scorer on par with Mbappe. But he is a striker, and Real Madrid have a proven striker in Karim Benzema with a promising young player in Luka Jovic.

Jadon Sancho is a man to watch on the wings. He emerged on the Madrid transfer radar in 2019-2020, but Los Blancos could not make any signings in 2020. And with Mbappe being the priority, Sancho’s name has fallen by the wayside. Haaland’s hype has also usurped his.

Jadon Sancho has the production and versatility to suit Real Madrid’s attack

Sancho’s production over the past three seasons is jaw-dropping, though. Maybe only Mbappe can match it among young players. The 21-year-old has at least double-digit assists in each of the last three seasons, including 17 goals and 16 assists in his career year in 2019-2020.

Although his goals went down to eight in 2020-2021. Sancho showed great signs of maturity, especially at the end of the season. Sancho won multiple matches for the Black and Yellows in their battle for Champions League qualification, and he was tremendous in their DFB Pokal Final triumph over RB Leipzig.

According to WhoScored.com, Sancho averaged 2.6 key passes per game and 3.0 dribbles completed per game for Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season. Those are highly impressive numbers, and they show how much Sancho can help a team in terms of his ball-carrying and chance creation. And we all know how skilled he is in short areas, using his quick thinking and fleet feet to get into the box to create havoc.

Sancho is capable of playing on either flank, which means he could fit one of Real’s needs on the left or the right. I know some Madridistas are dreaming of both Sancho and Mbappe, and I don’t like crushing dreams or claiming things impossible. So maybe Sancho on the right and Mbappe on the left is the new No. 1 goal for some fans. It’s highly unrealistic Real sign both men, but that 0.00001% possibility might make Sancho more appealing.

But at the end of the day, the versatility, in combination with the staggering production over three years, are the big keys here. Sancho can score, create, and do everything a world-class, modern-day winger must do on either flank.

That should have you sold on Sancho. His pedigree is already established despite only being 21. He is a Real Madrid-quality player and must still be near the top of Los Blancos’ wishlist.