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Jamie Carragher questions Jadon Sancho's ability after loan move to Aston Villa

Sancho in action during the Conference League final
Sancho in action during the Conference League finalANDRZEJ IWANCZUK / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has ripped into Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho who is now at Aston Villa for the season.

The England international was linked with a move away from United for much of the summer transfer window, and he eventually opted to join Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the campaign after being pushed out by manager Ruben Amorim. 

Sancho spent the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan at Borussia Dortmund before joining Chelsea last summer, who opted to pay a £5M penalty fee to cancel their permanent option. 

Despite trying to revive his crumbling career at Villa, Carragher has now raised question marks over Sancho's quality and stands by his decision to not pick him for an England squad on Sky Sports a number of years ago. 

"It’s funny with Jadon Sancho. Back when he was at Borussia Dortmund, Gary Neville and I were on a show where we had to pick an England squad.  

“We hadn’t seen too much of him – he was doing well in the Champions League, but we left him out. Everyone on social media was saying, ‘How can you not pick Sancho?’ 

"I’m still not sure there’s that much ability there. He’s okay, but I don’t really see what his standout quality is.  

“With Marcus Rashford, even though I’ve criticised him, I can picture his pace, his shooting, his free kicks, the power he puts into the ball. With Sancho, I just don’t know what his thing is – I can’t picture it in my head." 

Sancho scored just 12 goals in 83 appearances for The Red Devils since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in a £73m deal in 2021. He could make his Villa debut when they come up against Everton in the Premier League on Saturday as he tries to find his footing and live up to fan expectations.