We’ve been examining five of Europe’s best attacking-midfield talents and Jadon Sancho is next in the series. Arguably the best player of the golden trio of Manchester City’s academy which includes Phil Foden and Brahim Diaz, Sancho is one of the most complete attacking midfielders of his age group. Find out why and read our methodology here.
STYLE OF PLAY
Gifted with great technique, acceleration, balance and everything that’s essential to make someone a complete player, Sancho is the type who can change the game with incredible individual brilliance.
A winger who can function as a right attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation can also play on the left and in the centre.
He banks on his pace and dribbling to get past players and an be effective in counters.
ATTRIBUTE RANKS (How the player ranks against the other players analysed)
Shots: 5
Key passes: 1
Expected goals+assists: 1
Successful dribbles: 1
Chances created: 1
Overall: 1
STRENGTHS
The prodigy that he is, Sancho is as complete as a player could get and the Lionel Messi comparisons are bound to pop up some day.
Blessed with jaw-dropping dribbling skills and incredible acceleration, the Englishman can be a thorn in the foot for any world class defender in a one-on-one scenario.
The best part about Sancho is that pace and acceleration are not his primary strengths. It’s his vision and mature decision making that places him among the elites at that age.
Take his pace and acceleration away and he can still dictate terms from the half-space and create a lot of goalscoring opportunities.
The 18-year-old also likes to get into scoring positions and is an intelligent footballer in every sense of the term.
WEAKNESSES
Sancho is a gifted athlete with a wide set of attributes. But if one has to nitpick his weaknesses, the weaker left foot can be talked about.
He is a right-footed player who plays on the left. Hence he must be proficient with both his feet. This is something Sancho must work on to enhance his game.
In the long run, being a one-footed player can knock off his goal-scoring abilities, if he carries on in the same position.
Jadon Sancho
NOTABLE PERFORMANCE THIS SEASON
Sancho came on as a substitute to help Dortmund beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2.
He made an immediate impact, leading the counter which resulted in Dortmund’s second goal. That run by Sancho can be considered as one of the best individual efforts this season in any top league. Marco Reus finished it off after a quick exchange with the teenager.
Sancho also assisted Paco Alcacer’s second goal and that proved to be a confirmation Dortmund were going home with all three points that night.
It’s hard to pick one memorable performance by the Englishman as he has performed consistently at a top level.
The fact that he stepped up and delivered against Bayern Munich makes a case for him being a big-game player.
VERDICT
Arguably the hottest prospect in the world of football, Sancho has the potential to be the best footballer in the world at his peak.
The €70m that transfermarkt has priced him at is a joke and he could easily go for twice the amount.
Sancho is – without a shadow of doubt – the best player for this age range and his traits show that he can thrive in any system and at any age.
SUITABLE FOR
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea
