Now that Sancho is looking for a fresh start, Watford legend Troy Deeney has questioned his next move's motivation, suggesting the Englishman is likely to regret his time at Manchester United.

Deeney said on talkSPORT Breakfast: "I do wonder if Sancho will be able to come to terms with his choices in the long term.

"I mean, people who retire knowing they've given their all, maybe they just got old, or got injured, or something else happened, they'll say, 'Okay, I can accept that, because I've given everything.'

"I feel, given the talent he had, the transfer opportunities, and the chances he was given,

"I do think the Manchester United experience may have diminished his love for football."

Deeney believes that Sancho's frustrations at Manchester United may have led him to reconsider his career goals and given him the opportunity to sign a lucrative contract in the Middle East.

He continued: "Ten Hag once put him in the U21 squad for a while.

"Then he went to Chelsea and won, and then to Villa and won, but neither club tried to keep him.

"So I'm wondering, will he now feel, 'This is a bit like just going for the money, getting as much as possible out of it'?"

Sancho made 39 appearances for Villa in all competitions during the 2025/25 season, starting only 18 of them.

He ended that season with 1 goal and 3 assists, and came on as a substitute for 9 minutes in Villa's 2-0 Europa League final win over Freiburg.

His time in English football has not lived up to the expectations generated by his early career, when he was considered one of the most talented young players in football during his spell at Borussia Dortmund.

The then-teenager shone in the Bundesliga between 2017 and 2021, scoring 54 goals and providing 45 assists in 188 appearances.

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