Jadon Sancho is back at Borussia Dortmund, joining the Bundesliga side on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season as he looks to kick-start a stalling career.

"When I walked into the changing room today, it felt like coming home," Sancho said after signing a six-month loan deal in Dortmund on Thursday — a deal that does not include an option for BVB to buy him back permanently.

"I know the club inside out, I've always been very close to the fans here and I've never lost contact with the people in charge. I can't wait to see my teammates again, get out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, get assists, score goals and help the club qualify for the Champions League."

England international Sancho, 23, first burst onto the scene as a teenager in Dortmund, scoring 50 goals and setting up 64 more for the Black and Yellows in 137 appearances between 2017 and 2021.

"Jadon is an absolute difference-maker and I'm looking forward to seeing him in black and yellow again soon," said Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "He knows this city, our fans and our club. Even though he hasn't played any competitive games in recent months, we're sure that he'll quickly settle back in with us, find his best form and help us to achieve our season objectives with his qualities."

After helping lead Dortmund to a German Cup triumph in 2021, Sancho secured an €85 million (roughly $93 million) move to Premier League giants United, but he has been unable to replicate his form in Manchester.

He has only managed nine goals for the record English champions in 58 Premier League games, and a public dispute with United head coach Erik Ten Hag saw him kicked out of the squad and forced to train with the youth team this season.

Analysis: Can Jadon Sancho help Borussia Dortmund?

Now back in Germany, Sancho will be looking to help Dortmund improve on a disappointing first half of the season when the Bundesliga resumes this weekend.

On a personal level, Sancho will also be looking to rejuvenate a stalling career and rekindle faint hopes of a return to the England national team ahead of the European Championship in Germany this summer.

Sancho has only featured once for England since missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy in July 2021, after which he – along with other teammates who missed penalties – was subjected to racist abuse on social media.

But having not kicked a ball in anger since August 26, there are huge question marks over his match-fitness.

And with the loan deal including no option to buy, and Dortmund unable to afford Sancho permanently anyway in terms of either transfer fee or wages, critics have suggested that the Bundesliga side are effectively offering to "fix" Sancho without standing to benefit themselves.

On the other hand, with reports in Germany suggesting that Dortmund are only paying around €3m for Sancho while United continue to pay his wages, the deal could also be seen as largely risk-free.

If Sancho, who enjoyed a good relationship with Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic previously, can contribute in even a small way to a Dortmund attack that has proven remarkably blunt this season and help the club secure a money-spinning place in next season's revamped Champions League, BVB's accountants surely would not object to the outlay.

Whether Sancho will be included in the Dortmund squad for the trip to newly-promoted Darmstadt on Saturday remains to be seen.

Edited: Mark Hallam