Jadon Sancho sent Chelsea message by player who could ruin his £25m transfer

Jadon Sancho has been welcomed to Chelsea with open arms by a number of first-team players. But the niceties will surely end when the 24-year-old finds himself in a fierce battle to make the starting XI.

Sancho has joined the Blues on a season-long loan from Manchester United, and the move is guaranteed to be made permanent next summer for up to £25million due to an obligation-to-buy clause included in the deal.

Though a fresh start could be exactly what Sancho needs, Chelsea’s overcrowded squad means he will have to fight his way into Enzo Maresca’s line-up. One player he will be in a direct tussle with is right-winger Noni Madueke.

The former PSV Eindhoven star reacted to Sancho’s arrival on Instagram by reposting Chelsea’s unveiling, tagging him, and adding four flame emojis. The pair will spend this season fighting for Chelsea’s collective goals but they are also gunning for the same starting spot.

Sancho is able to play on either flank. He spent much of his disappointing United spell on the left, despite finding huge success on the right while at Borussia Dortmund.

With Mykhaylo Mudryk and Pedro Neto already competing for the left-wing spot at Chelsea, Sancho’s best chance of seeing regular action could be on the right, where Madueke has earned the starting berth thanks, in part, to his hat-trick against Wolves last weekend.

And if Madueke continues to sparkle, Sancho may struggle to kickstart his new chapter at Stamford Bridge. The loanee needs minutes and confidence to rediscover the form which saw him notch 50 goals in 137 games for Dortmund earlier in his career.

It remains to be seen whether Sancho has what it takes to put Madueke’s warm welcome to one side and oust him from the starting XI. He is seemingly confident that Chelsea have not signed him to collect dust on the bench.

Sancho told the club’s official website: “(Maresca) spoke to me on the phone about this project and what he was building here, and for a young player like myself it’s exciting and I can’t wait to get started. They’re signing me for a reason and to contribute to the team, and I’m ready to do that.

“I’m really happy it’s all finally done. Chelsea is iconic. My idols growing up were Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard and now I have the opportunity to play for this club like them. It’s a great feeling.”