New Delhi [India], September 14 : Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed confidence in the potential of 24-year-old English winger Jadon Sancho, but he expects the player to earn his place through hard work at Cobham Training Centre.
"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," Maresca said, as quoted by Goal.com.
"We have Jadon, Joao [Felix], these kind of players. 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. Before they arrived, the message for them was clear. For Jadon. For Joao," he added.
"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," Maresca noted.
Sancho joined Chelsea last month on an initial loan deal, with an option to make the transfer permanent next summer for a fee between £20 million (EUR23m/$26m) and £25 million (EUR29m/$32m).
This potential price tag is significantly lower than the £73 million ($101m) Manchester United paid Borussia Dortmund for the England international three years ago.
If Sancho can realize his potential at Stamford Bridge, it would be considered a bargain for Chelsea.
Once regarded as one of Europe's brightest young talents, Sancho's tenure at Manchester United was plagued by inconsistency and underperformance.
A loan return to Borussia Dortmund in the latter half of last season showed flashes of his former brilliance, including an appearance in the Champions League final.
Now, as Sancho begins his Chelsea career, he faces the dual challenge of restoring his reputation and finding consistent form.
Sancho's difficulties at Manchester United reached a peak last September after a public dispute with manager Erik ten Hag.
Following this fallout, his opportunities at United became limited.
His only appearance for the club after the incident came in the Community Shield against Manchester City, where he entered as a late substitute and missed a penalty in the shootout.
"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," Maresca remarked.
The winger could make his debut for Chelsea on Saturday when they face Bournemouth in a Premier League fixture.
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