MIDDLE EAST MOVE
Jadon Sancho tipped for shock Saudi Arabia transfer after explosive blast at Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag
MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed Jadon Sancho could move to Saudi Arabia following his shocking statement on Sunday.
The former Borussia Dortmund man, 23, launched an explosive attack on Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag on social media after the Dutch coach revealed Sancho was not included in his squad because of "his performances in training".
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The English forward responded by insisting the comments were "completely untrue", before he went on to say he has been a "scapegoat for a long time".
Following the war of words, Sancho's departure from the club could well be imminent.
However, he cannot move to another European club until January as the transfer window closed last week.
And Ferdinand, 44, believes clubs in Saudi could profit from that - with their window open until Thursday.
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Speaking on his , he said: "There's no way Jadon's putting out a statement like that if he hasn't, in his own eyes, performed well.
"On his chart, Jadon, 'I've trained alright'. But the manager have a certain standard.
"There's only one way this ends right now. Well, two ways.
"There's only one window open and that's Saudi. Or you're on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season."
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An astonished Ferdinand also addressed Ten Hag's comments about Sancho prior to the player's Instagram statement.
He said: "As a professional, to be called about your application in training is probably one of the most embarrassing things that can be said about you as a player.
"My pride, my ego, I would have been sitting there thinking 'Wow, you could have said a lot of things about me but I want have you questioning my professionalism.
"So for him to be questioning his professionalism - publicly as well - and this isn't new from Erik ten Hag by the way. He did this with Rashford, he done this with Garnacho in dressing players down publicly. And he's got reactions from them two.
"We're yet to see the right reaction and the real reaction consistently over a period of time from Sancho. So the manager needs to find a way of getting something out of him."
He went on to add: "At the same time, it's a two-way street. The player's got to give the manager something to feed off.
"Me personally, and a lot of players I played with, they would be embarrassed to feel a manager has to cajole or massage the best out of them. Your personal pride and application should be there No1.
"It shouldn't have to be coaxed out of you to perform on a regular basis in training. That's your personal pride. That's your day-to-day. Get to the training ground, get your boots on and graft every day. That's the standard, man."
Sancho came off the bench in Man Utd's opening three Premier League games, failing to produce a goal contribution.
But his omission from the squad in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal has left his future up in the air.
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He arrived at Old Trafford from Dortmund for £73million in 2021.
In his two years at United, he has registered 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances.
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