"He did Nothing, Chelsea Must Rethink"— William Gallas Questions Winger’s Future After Arsenal Defeat

Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has voiced his concerns over Jadon Sancho’s recent performances, urging the club to reconsider signing him permanently.

Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with Mikel Merino’s first-half header proving to be the difference. It was another frustrating outing for Enzo Maresca’s side, who have now lost three of their last five Premier League matches.

One of the biggest talking points from the match was Sancho’s lackluster performance. Despite starting his third consecutive game, the winger struggled to make an impact, continuing a worrying trend of inconsistency since joining Chelsea on loan from Manchester United.

Sancho made an impressive start at Stamford Bridge, registering three assists in his first three games, but his form has dipped drastically since then. His only goal contribution in 2024 came in the form of an assist against Crystal Palace on January 4.

The 24-year-old joined Chelsea on a loan deal, with an option for a permanent transfer ranging between £22 million and £25 million, provided Chelsea finishes 14th or higher in the league. However, recent reports suggest that Chelsea could back out of the deal by paying Manchester United a compensation fee.

Following Sancho’s underwhelming display against Arsenal, Gallas believes Chelsea should seriously consider that option.

Speaking to Stadium Astro, Gallas didn’t hold back his thoughts on Sancho’s struggles:

“Sancho is a talented player, everybody knows that. But for some reason, he just can’t perform consistently. At Dortmund, he was brilliant. At Manchester United, it didn’t work. And now at Chelsea, we saw glimpses of his old self in the beginning, but then he disappeared again.”

The former Chelsea centre-back stressed that playing in the Premier League requires consistent high-level performances, something Sancho has failed to deliver.

“In the Premier League, you have to give your best every single game. It’s not easy, but you can’t just play well for a few matches and then go quiet. Right now, I don’t think he deserves to stay at Chelsea.”

When asked about Sancho’s performance against Arsenal, Gallas was even more direct:

“Did you see him dribble past his defender today? No. He did nothing. He didn’t challenge his opponent. He just got the ball, did a few skills, and passed it back. We want to see more, especially from a winger.”

Despite Chelsea’s poor attacking display against Arsenal—where they managed only three shots on goal in 90 minutes—Maresca remains hopeful that the team will improve once key attacking players return.

“We were missing our three top scorers—Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke. Not having them on the pitch makes a huge difference,” Maresca explained.

The Chelsea boss admitted that while his side has still managed to be one of the league’s best attacking teams, their struggles without those players have been evident.

“Even though we are among the top three attacking teams in the league, we clearly struggle without them. Hopefully, after the international break, we will have them back and be much better offensively.”

With Sancho’s form failing to impress and Chelsea having the option to cancel the deal, the club now faces a tough decision. Should they stick with the 24-year-old and hope he regains his best form? Or should they cut their losses and look for other options in the transfer market?