Jadon Sancho is leaving Manchester United on a free transfer when the contract ends this month, with the club confirming the decision in the 2025-26 retained list. The winger, signed from Borussia Dortmund for £75m in 2021, has spent most recent campaigns away from Old Trafford on loan.

Sancho’s departure had long been expected, as Manchester United were not planning a contract extension. The confirmation arrived alongside news that Tyrell Malacia would also exit, following an earlier announcement that Casemiro was leaving. Sancho now becomes one of the most high-profile free agents on the European market.

Across the last three seasons, Sancho played for Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Aston Villa on temporary deals. These moves followed a dispute with then Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag in September 2023, after which Sancho was frozen out of the first-team setup at Old Trafford.

Sancho rejoined Dortmund for the second half of the 2023-24 season, helping the German club in both domestic and European competitions. Sancho featured 21 times in all competitions and scored three goals, adding depth in attack as Dortmund reached the Champions League final against Real Madrid that campaign.

In 2024-25, Sancho moved on loan to Chelsea and produced a stronger output across the season. Sancho made 41 appearances, scoring five goals and providing eight assists, for 13 goal involvements overall. The winger also played a part as Chelsea secured the Conference League trophy, but the club declined an option to sign permanently.

Sancho spent 2025-26 on loan at Aston Villa, where the team enjoyed a successful season under Unai Emery. Sancho played 39 matches in all competitions, as Villa finished fourth in the Premier League and lifted the Europa League trophy. His only goal for Villa came against Fenerbahce in a Europa League group game in January.

Unai Emery did not commit to keeping Sancho, when asked about a permanent transfer. Manchester United also never viewed a fresh contract as likely, which left Sancho’s future open. Sancho has since been strongly linked with a permanent return to Dortmund, who ended 2025-26 a distant second to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Sancho set a European record in Aston Villa’s Europa League final win over Freiburg. By coming off the bench in that match, Sancho became the first player to appear in three different European finals, in three straight seasons, across the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

Those three finals spanned Dortmund’s 2023-24 Champions League loss to Real Madrid, Chelsea’s Conference League triumph, then Villa’s Europa League success. Sancho has also scored in every major UEFA competition season from 2018-19 to 2025-26. Among English players, only Harry Kane and Phil Foden have matched that eight-season scoring streak.

Sancho stands among two English players to score for four separate clubs in major European competitions. The winger has found the net in Europe for Dortmund, Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa. Peter Crouch is the other, having scored for Liverpool, Portsmouth, Tottenham and Stoke City in continental tournaments.

Manchester United confirmed Sancho’s exit when publishing the retained list following the 2025-26 season. The club shared the update through official channels, alongside decisions on several other players, signalling a new phase for the squad as planning continues for the next Premier League campaign.