Manchester United two-word message has hinted at most likely Jadon Sancho outcome

Revisionism is rife in football, you only have to look at Jadon Sancho to realise that.

In a matter of weeks he has gone from a Manchester United flop to a Borussia Dortmund star and there is now a clamour from some fans for him to be reintegrated into the squad, as if all that happened before has suddenly been forgotten.

Erik ten Hag might have some obvious flaws, but his stubbornness is not one of them. He had made his decision on Sancho and there is no way he will be changing his mind anytime soon, no matter how well he played against Paris Saint-Germain.

Sancho has not played for United since the home game against Nottingham Forest last August after he was banished by Ten Hag for publicly accusing him of lying over his omission from the matchday squad against Arsenal. The player's refusal to apologise for his social media post claiming to be a 'scapegoat' resulted in him training away from the first team and being exiled to the academy building at United's training complex.

He jumped at the chance to rejoin Dortmund in the January window, and Sancho has thrived in the homely environment where he feels appreciated and valued again. Almost inevitable as his upturn in fortunes since returning to Germany, were the inevitable questions that would follow. Ten Hag was quizzed on the 24-year-old's future yesterday and despite remaining diplomatic, two words were more telling than the rest.

"So let's say this: yesterday he played very good and he's a very good player," he said. "Yesterday (Wednesday) he showed why Manchester United bought him and he showed he represents a high value for Manchester United. Which is good. I'm happy for Jadon, for the performance yesterday and we'll see what is going to happen in the future."

Read it as you wish, what really stood out was the admission that he represents a ‘high value.' As long as Ten Hag remains in charge of the club, it is expected Sancho will not have a future there. It is in their best interest if he drives up his transfer value ahead of the summer window as they bid to recoup as much of the £73 million they initially invested in him.

Dortmund are one of the clubs who would love to sign the United forward this summer, but it is understood they wouldn't be able to match his wage demands and wouldn't be able to offer a significant transfer fee either. The Bundesliga side would prefer another loan deal with the option to make it permanent, but as United's preference is for a full sale, it is encouraging to see him lighting up the Champions League in the hope it drives further interest.

Regardless of what happens next with the managerial situation, United can't forget how underwhelming Sancho had been for much of his Old Trafford career either, an issue that stemmed long before Ten Hag arrived. Even now, there is a sense that his recent performance against PSG, no matter how brilliant, has altered the perceived success of his current loan spell, which has also included a number of poor performances.

Sancho already had two-and-half-years to prove his worth at Old Trafford and the harsh truth is that for reasons both in and out of his control, that simply hasn't happened. In a summer where the Ineos Group will be looking to raise the standards and change the culture of the club, they must act ruthlessly when it comes to deciding the future of the £73m man.

The only revisionism that should matter for United is that he now has a revised price-tag.