Chelsea finally sign Sancho on loan with reported £20M obligation to buy

Chelsea finally wrapped a bow on the final major transfer of the 2024 summer window Saturday, confirming the signing of Jadon Sancho on loan with an obligation to buy.

The Blues will end up paying £20 million to make the loan deal permanent at the end of the season, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano. The club could pay an additional £5 million in add-ons.

Chelsea agreed to a deal with Manchester United just ahead of Friday's 6 p.m. ET deadline but only finalized it after requesting an extension from Premier League.

"I'm really excited to be here. London is where I grew up and I'm happy to be back," Sancho told the club's website. "The manager spoke to me about the project and, for a young player, it's exciting. Hopefully I can bring goals and assists to the Bridge."

Chelsea reportedly presented two unique offers for the 24-year-old winger on deadline day. The first was a season-long loan with an option to buy, while the other included an obligation to make the deal permanent.

Keen to move Sancho outright, United accepted the latter.

Sancho reportedly made it clear Thursday that he preferred to join Chelsea over Juventus, prompting the Italian side to abandon their pursuit. The Blues and Sancho already had an agreement in place over personal terms prior to United signing off on the move.

A central figure in the summer window, Sancho was looking for a fresh start following a difficult spell at Old Trafford.

A bitter public feud with manager Erik ten Hag forced Sancho to spend the second half of last season on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund, where he seemed to regain some of the verve for the game that has been missing since his 2021 transfer to United.

He helped the German side reach the Champions League final, showing the dynamic dribbling ability and creativity that earned him his expensive Premier League move in the first place.

Dortmund couldn't make the move permanent, though. And while Ten Hag claimed the pair had put their quarrel behind them, Sancho was left out of the squad for United's opening two league matches of the new season, renewing speculation that he was again on the way out.

He'll compete for playing time at Chelsea with several other wingers and versatile forwards, including the likes of Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, and Joao Felix.