Ahead of his potential Chelsea debut, Enzo Maresca has warned Jadon Sancho that if he ‘doesn’t work hard then he won’t play’.
Sancho completed a surprise loan move to Stamford Bridge on deadline day with an obligation to buy, thus ending his Manchester United nightmare.
The Red Devils paid £73million for the winger back in 2021 but he would score just 12 goals and make six assists in 83 appearances.
His Old Trafford career effectively ended a year ago after being banished from the first-team by Erik ten Hag after a public falling out with the manager.
This came after Ten Hag stated that Sancho had not been included in a matchday squad due to lacklustre performances in training, a claim the player disputed on social media.
The 24-year-old is now hoping to get his career back on track in west London, but if he was hoping Maresca would be slightly more relaxed than Ten Hag on the training ground, his new manager quickly snuffed out that idea.
Ahead of Sancho’s potential Chelsea debut at Bournemouth on Saturday night, the Italian manager revealed what he told him and fellow new signing Joao Felix before their transfers were completed.
‘Before they joined the club, I had a chat with them, and one of my messages to them was if you come here and don’t work properly then you are not going to play,’ Maresca said.
‘Before they arrived, the message for them was clear. For Jadon. For Joao.
‘But the reason why I’m speaking to you is because I really like you. If you come here in the way that we want, we are happy.
‘But if you come there and don’t work hard, it’s better if you don’t come.’
And it seems that message got through to the England international, with Maresca adding: ‘I don’t have any idea about what happened with Erik. I can just judge the player in the weeks he has been with us and he has been perfect.
‘I don’t consider Jadon a risk because I consider Jadon as a player who can help us. With the way we play he is that kind of player to help us a lot, especially in the last third when we arrive there so many times and need more quality, more patience, more accuracy.
‘I love Jadon, I love the players we have. The reason Jadon is here is because I love him, otherwise he would not be here.’
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