Borussia Dortmund’s stance on Jadon Sancho transfer in January 2026 revealed

Jadon Sancho’s name has a habit of circling back to Borussia Dortmund whenever a window approaches, after his rise to fame with the Bundesliga giants.

His time at Manchester United never truly settled after the public bust-up with Erik ten Hag, with his exile back to Dortmund only adding fuel to the fire of him routinely rejoining the German side.

With his return to Dortmund, and the loans that followed, Sancho has struggled to restore rhythm, with the current spell at Aston Villa bringing just four Premier League appearances totalling 88 minutes.

Now, as always, new reports have emerged of Sancho considering a move back to his former side, viewing it as his only chance to restore his career.

However, the latest update from Germany points the other way. Discussing the situation on SPORT1 podcast “Die Dortmund-Woche”, presenter Patrick Sedlbauer framed the cycle as familiar before every window, saying: “It’s like Groundhog Day every six months.”

He continued: “Shortly before every transfer window, it has become customary in Dortmund to discuss Jadon Sancho.”

Reporter Oliver Muller underlined that view and described the speculation as a “running gag” around the German giants.

He explained: “In professional football you can only ever go by the current situation, and right now Sancho is not a topic at Borussia Dortmund.”

The pair added that while supporters may still long for a feel-good return, that belongs more to story than plan, with Muller summing up fan hope as “nothing more than a fairytale idea” at present.

This sits alongside separate reporting that Dortmund continuously track Sancho’s career, but the immediate stance from decision-makers, as set out this week, is that a January move is not being addressed.

Any change would still require Villa to send Sancho back to Old Trafford, despite the loan deal having no break clause, with the Red Devils happy to see their unwanted winger see out the final months of his contract at Villa Park.

Whether Dortmund do or don’t bring Jadon Sancho back for a third stint at the club, on Manchester United’s side, the impact remains minimal either way. Under Ruben Amorim, the club have already set a path to part company at the end of the season, so Dortmund’s current position won’t impact The Red Devils in any way.