Jadon Sancho must accept two strict contract conditions if he is to secure a return to German club Borussia Dortmund this summer.
The winger is currently a free agent after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of June. The Premier League side opted against taking an option to extend the deal for a further year in a bid to secure a transfer fee, with the club cutting their losses on the player.
According to German newspaper Bild, Dortmund are considering giving Sancho a career lifeline under certain conditions. The report claims Sancho would have to accept a heavily performance-based contract to facilitate his return, while also forgoing a signing bonus with the Bundesliga giants.
Dortmund chief executive Carsten Cramer addressed speculation that Sancho could return to the club during an appearance on Sky90.
"There's hardly a name that electrifies the people of Dortmund more than Jadon - that's just the way it is, that's been the case throughout the entire summer break," Cramer told Sky90.
"Jadon hasn't done anything wrong, he's an impeccable young man," Cramer added. "But we consistently handle it this way, we don't comment on any names at all."
Dortmund history and fitness concerns
Sancho joined Manchester United from Dortmund in a £73million deal in 2021 after a successful four-year spell with the German team. He returned to the Bundesliga side on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season, taking his total tally for the club to 53 goals and 67 assists across 158 appearances.
Borussia Dortmund compete in the Bundesliga, the top division of German football, and play their home matches at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Sancho initially moved to the German team as a teenager from Manchester City in 2017, developing into one of Europe's top wingers before returning to England with Manchester United.
Despite his record at the club, Sancho's fitness levels are regarded as a particular concern at Dortmund, given he has rarely performed at the highest level for a sustained period over the past five years. Club hierarchy recognise that it could take time for the winger to get completely up to speed.
Struggles in England and European finals
The winger struggled at Manchester United, with his spell at Old Trafford best remembered for his public falling out with then manager Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United are based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester and play in the English Premier League, while Dutch manager Erik ten Hag took charge of the team in 2022 after leading Ajax to domestic success in the Netherlands.
Sancho also had underwhelming loan spells at Premier League sides Chelsea and Aston Villa in the past two seasons, spending last season on loan at Villa. Remarkably, despite his struggles, Sancho featured in the final of Europe's three major club competitions in different seasons during his loan spells at Dortmund, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
Aston Villa play at Villa Park in Birmingham, while Chelsea are based at Stamford Bridge in London. Europe's three main UEFA club competitions are the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
Transfer options and non-league training
Daily Mail Sport reported earlier this month that agreements in principle exist with a number of clubs across Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Clubs in Europe, with Turkey highlighted as one potential landing spot, are also paying close attention, while Sancho takes his time to choose his next destination.
In the meantime, Sancho has been keeping fit at 10th-tier side Flixton FC, with the forward visiting and training at their Valley Ground. His appearance at the non-league venue came as such a surprise that Flixton were forced to release an official statement explaining that he was not on trial with the club.
Flixton FC are an amateur football club based in Flixton, Greater Manchester, competing in the lower divisions of the English non-league system.
