Manchester United have confirmed the release of Jadon Sancho, allowing the £73 million signing to leave on a free transfer following an expensive five-year stint at Old Trafford.

The club chose not to exercise their option to extend the England winger’s contract by an additional year – a move that could have preserved some resale value had they managed to sell him.

As a result, Sancho leaves alongside Casemiro and Tyrell Malacia, with the trio – whose total transfer fees amounted to £148 million – all exiting the club on free transfers.

During his time with United, Sancho made only 83 appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists, making him the fourth-most expensive signing in the club’s history.

Over the last two-and-a-half seasons, he has spent time on loan at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. Since August 2023, he has featured just once for United – in the 2024 Community Shield.

Sancho’s final Premier League appearance for United came nearly three years ago, following a dispute with former manager Erik ten Hag.

The Dutch manager dropped Sancho from the squad for a game against Arsenal, citing poor training performances. In response, Sancho claimed he was being unfairly scapegoated. The disagreement saw Ten Hag exclude him from first-team training, and the winger eventually rejoined Dortmund on loan in January 2024.

Remarkably, Sancho has appeared in European finals for three consecutive years with three different clubs – Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, Chelsea in the Conference League, and Aston Villa in the same competition – winning the latter two.

Chelsea reportedly paid a £5 million penalty fee as part of their loan deal to avoid making his move permanent, while Aston Villa are not expected to pursue a full transfer after Sancho started just nine league matches under Unai Emery.

Borussia Dortmund have indicated their interest in signing Sancho for a third time during the upcoming summer window.

Casemiro had already confirmed his departure, four years after joining United from Real Madrid for £63 million. The 34-year-old midfielder scored 26 goals in 160 matches and played a key role in United’s third-place finish this season.

Meanwhile, left-back Tyrell Malacia, another signing under Ten Hag, made only 11 appearances over the past three seasons following 39 games in his debut campaign. He joined United for £12 million.