The talented young Englishman was ripping it up in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and it was always on the cards that one of Europe's big clubs would come calling.

Banned from training

And so it was that in 2021, Man Utd. agreed a £73m deal to take him to the Premier League, where it was expected that his star would continue to rise.

Unfortunately for player and club, the magic never really happened, and when he fell out with manager Erik ten Hag, there was no way back for him at Old Trafford.

Whether the Dutchman's banning him from training and even being around the first team was too heavy-handed is a moot point, as one could argue that Sir Alex Ferguson's methods would never have been questioned in quite the same way.

Where ten Hag was hamstrung is that he was clearly a fish out of water in a job that was far too big for him, and the sidelining of Sancho was just another decision that came under much scrutiny.

Three loans, no permanent deal

Although the pair appeared to patch up their differences after a few months of tension, no one was in any doubt it was purely to paper over the cracks and for Sancho to be put in the shop window.

Subsequent loans back to Dortmund, Chelsea and Aston Villa have all ended the same way, with the player not being signed on a permanent basis.

So here we are, with Sancho at a career crossroads at just 26 years of age.

Interest from Saudi Pro League clubs can't be discounted on transfer deadline day, as if that's the only option that Sancho has before the window closes, he may be best advised to take the trip to the Middle East.

Dortmund return on the cards?

However, reports have suggested that Dortmund would consider having him back again, on the basis that he foregoes a signing-on bonus and agrees to a heavily incentivised performance-based contract.

That may well be the best offer he's likely to receive, and the acceptance of it - or not - will tell us much about what the player truly values ie playing time or money.

Were Dortmund to be successful in their approach, what sort of player would they be getting back compared to the last time he wore the famous yellow and black strip? Certainly not the one who left them the first time around.

In the two seasons on loan at Chelsea and Villa, Sancho made a total of 80 appearances, but could only manage to score six goals and provide 11 assists.

Confidence at rock bottom

For a player who has pace to burn, making just nine fast breaks in those two seasons speaks of someone whose confidence really has hit rock bottom. As does finding his teammate with only six crosses (from 67 attempted).

Indeed, that might well be the easiest explanation as to why we haven't seen the best of him since his Dortmund days. He was, and is, loved there, and perhaps a reunion will also rekindle that attacking spirit which has recently deserted him.

There's nothing wrong with his passing range, which was even as high as 94.12% at Chelsea, whilst 99 chances created is also a stat that Sancho can be proud of.

194 ball recoveries at least indicates that he will still work hard for the cause, whilst a Premier League one-on-one success between 42% and 46% over the past two seasons is acceptable for a winger.

Time to deliver for Sancho

Even a tackle completion of 53.85% served him well, though one must take into account that he did only involve himself in 34 tackles in total, winning 23 across both campaigns.

Arguably, there's still a great player there who just needs an arm around the shoulder and a manager who understands the moods, the body language, but also the explosive pace and the skill set.

A manager who can get into Sancho's psyche and have him deliver on his promise.

Given that he's still 18-24 months away from a player's supposed peak, if Dortmund can find the player's sweet spot, they will have hit the jackpot.

From Sancho's own point of view, a turnaround in fortunes might well see Thomas Tuchel circling, with an England recall not out of the question.

Sancho has to dream big and be decisive. Plain and simple.