WITH his second of three assists in a crucial away win for Barcelona over Real Betis on Sunday, Lionel Messi became only the second player in Europe’s top five leagues this season to reach double figures for both goals and assists. The other player, the only man to have bettered arguably the greatest footballer of all time as the other half of that statistical fact, is Jadon Sancho.
Indeed, the 19-year-old has been in the form of his still fledgling career for Borussia Dortmund this season, scoring 12 goals and notching 13 assists in just 19 Bundesliga appearances. Sancho isn’t just a superstar of the future, as he’s been billed for a couple years, he’s already one of the game’s most devastating attackers. He is a force of nature.
Only Filip Kostic (2.7) is averaging more key passes per game in the Bundesliga than Sancho (2.5) this season, while the England international is also among the division’s most prolific dribblers, averaging 2.7 per appearance. Behind Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner, both out-and-out centre forwards, Sancho is the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer and its top assist-maker.
Only two players have scored 10+ league goals and provided 10+ league assists in Europe's top five divisions this season:
✓ Jadon Sancho: 12 goals, 13 assists
✓ Lionel Messi: 14 goals, 10 assistsJadon finally has some company. pic.twitter.com/ot1vKyJQQK
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 9, 2020
Not since Wayne Rooney burst on to the scene has an English teenager made such an impression at such a young age. Sancho has been linked with every club there is, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid all believed to be monitoring the winger, and with very good reason.
It was the same with Rooney, joining Man Utd as football’s most expensive teen at the time. Last summer saw Joao Felix set a new benchmark, making the £113 million move to Atletico Madrid as a 19-year-old. Sancho will be 20 by this summer, but given the level he’s playing at this season it’s entirely possible that he could command an even higher fee.
Of course, the argument could be made that Sancho should stay where he is, at least for the time being. Dortmund are, after all, one of the biggest and best clubs in Germany. They are just four points off Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga and are Champions League regulars, with a round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain looming on the horizon. What’s more, Dortmund’s current crop is among Europe’s most exciting. Sancho might be setting the standard at the Westfalenstadion this season, but he counts Hakimi Achraf, Thorgan Hazard, Julian Brandt and of course Erling Haaland as teammates, all of whom are expected to stay at the top of the sport for years to come.
Sancho could hardly be in a better place at this stage of his development, but the temptation to take the next step may prove irresistible. If this summer is to present the teenager with a career crossroads he must carefully consider his every option. Where will he receive first team football? Which club environment will allow him to grow further?
Rooney went through all this having set the European Championships alight in the summer of 2004, ultimately deciding that a move to Old Trafford to work under Sir Alex Ferguson was the best move for his career. He was vindicated in that decision, becoming Man Utd’s record top scorer over 13 glittering years of individual and team success. There could be similar rewards for Sancho should he be shrewd in picking his next destination.
As players, Rooney and Sancho are very different, but parallels can be drawn between the two purely on the mark they have made as teenagers. It’s been over a decade since English football could boast such a player. That Sancho is even being measured in any way against Messi this season illustrates the extent of his talent.
