Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Tue 5 May 2026 8:30, UK

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Jadon Sancho is set to become a free agent this summer and will hope to extend his stay at Aston Villa after spending the season on loan.

The winger joined from Manchester United last summer and has had a campaign full of highs and lows at Villa Park.

Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham was certainly a low point for Villa, with Conor Gallagher and Richarlison scoring early goals to render Emi Buendia’s late strike a mere consolation.

Sancho was selected from the off but failed to leave any impression on Destiny Udogie before he was substituted in the closing stages.

Villa transfer chiefs will be watching the 26-year-old closely in the final weeks of the season, with each appearance set to be key for this summer’s decision.

Jadon Sancho fails to perform vs Tottenham

Football Insider exclusively revealed in March that Villa have not ruled out Sancho’s permanent arrival this summer, despite a poor return.

The winger has just two assists in the Premier League this season and one goal across all competitions, although starts have been hard to come by.

Both Sancho and Harvey Elliott arrived on transfer deadline day last summer, and Unai Emery’s usage of them has been under scrutiny.

The former Liverpool man has been left completely in the cold, but the Spaniard has taken more of a shine to Sancho.

The forward has made 36 appearances across all competitions, and is often among Emery’s first options off the bench to make an impact.

But the former Borussia Dortmund man will have to showcase better displays than what he produced against Tottenham on Sunday if he wants to stay.

Sancho failed to create a single chance or take a single shot, with not a single one of his attempted crosses finding their mark.

What has Unai Emery said on Sancho’s future?

Emery has been largely tight-lipped on Sancho’s future, but has admitted that he would be open to a permanent move in the summer.

Other clubs are also expected to enter the mix, with the winger’s former club, Dortmund, expected to attempt to spark a reunion.

“We spoke a lot during the season, with him and me especially about his task with us, how we need his performance and his qualities,” Emery said when asked about Sancho last month.

“But now it is about tomorrow. He is coming back [from injury] and he is a fantastic player and he needs to be consistent.

“I think that he is being demanding and he adapted in our structure progressively getting better. It is a pity that he was injured in the last weeks because he finished before the break fantastic.”