Latest Jadon Sancho update could spell bad news for Arsenal

Ethan Nwaneri has made a decent start to life at Borussia Dortmund.

He forced an own-goal from the opponent on his Bundesliga debut against Hoffenheim and followed that up with an impressive Champions League display against Villarreal.

Arsenal fans are convinced Dortmund is a great move for the 19-year-old, and the hierarchy’s hope is that he returns next summer ready to stake a genuine claim for a first-team position.

However, a new update may affect his minutes going forward.

According to Ben Jacobs, Borussia Dortmund could sign former Manchester United and Chelsea winger Jadon Sancho.

“Everyone had worked on the premise that Ethan Nwaneri to Dortmund equaled Sancho not going back to Dortmund,” Jacobs said on Market Madness.

“My information on Deadline Day was that Dortmund could do Nwaneri and Sancho. And that remains the case according to my information.

“So a third return to Dortmund not to be discounted as far as Jadon Sancho is concerned.”

Jadon Sancho could compete directly with Ethan Nwaneri for minutes

The most obvious concern with this news is Nwaneri’s minutes. The Arsenal loanee currently has a clear pathway to first-team minutes at Dortmund — he was signed after an injury to Giannis Konstantelias.

Add Sancho, who operates in similar attacking positions, and suddenly that competition for gametime increases.

And there’s arguably not just on-pitch concerns. Sancho’s reputation at this point in his career is not one Arsenal should want anywhere near a 19-year-old they are trying to develop.

His time at Manchester United was plagued by off-the-pitch issues, questionable attitude and public fallouts with managers.

There’s a general sense around him of a player who has lost his way, and a third return to Dortmund would feel like his last roll of the dice.

Nwaneri is young, English and away from home. You would naturally presume he will become pretty close with Sancho off the pitch, but is that the sort of role model Arsenal will want him to be instilling habits from? Probably not.