Al-Rayyan move to bring forgotten England winger in from the cold

At 26, the England international finds himself unemployed after his Manchester United deal expired at the end of last season.

Once regarded as one of the most promising wingers around, Sancho saw his career stall following an eye-catching stint at Borussia Dortmund.

He failed to recapture his best form with United and endured largely disappointing loan spells with Dortmund, Chelsea and Aston Villa.

But there now appears to be a glimmer of hope that he could get back on track in the Middle East, with multiple sources claiming Al-Rayyan have offered him a contract.

Where did it go wrong for Sancho at United?

Having missed a penalty in the shootout as England lost the delayed Euro 2020 final to Italy, Sancho described it as “a dream come true” when he moved to Old Trafford in July 2021.

Hoping to play on the left, United had other ideas for the Manchester City academy graduate and he rarely got the chance to operate on his favoured flank.

With his form patchy at best, Sancho missed out on England’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar and personal problems led to him taking a three-month break in the autumn of 2022.

Midway through that absence, then-United boss Erik ten Hag addressed his player’s plight. He said: “It's physical, but physical is also the connection with mental.”

Ten Hag’s sympathy, however, ran out during Sancho’s third season at the Theatre of Dreams.

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After leaving him out of the matchday squad to face Arsenal, Ten Hag criticised the winger's performance in training — which didn’t go down well.

Blasting back on social media, Sancho became locked in a four-month standoff with his boss that only ended when he was packed off on loan to Dortmund.

Despite reaching the Champions League final, the Bundesliga side could not afford to make the switch permanent and Sancho returned to United before finding himself in West London with Chelsea.

He contributed five goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances in 2024-25 but it wasn’t enough for the Blues, who paid a £5million penalty to send him back.

On this occasion, there was no olive branch offered by United and Ruben Amorim made it clear Sancho was not part of his plans.

A temporary switch to Villa followed last season but Sancho’s numbers were shocking. With just one goal and three assists in 39 outings, it came as no surprise when Unai Emery waved him off at the end of his side's Europa League-winning campaign.

Is there still hope for Sancho?

Fast forward to today and Sancho is a free agent after five forgettable years on United’s books.

For a player who once seemingly had the world at his feet, it has been quite the fall from grace.

But if a deal with Al-Rayyan materialises, Sancho could yet rediscover his best form and set tongues wagging for all the right reasons once again.

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