Danny Murphy has suggested that Chelsea should have retained Jadon Sancho rather than paying a £5million penalty to return him to Manchester United. The ex-England player had been on loan at Stamford Bridge this season, where he netted five goals and provided 10 assists in 42 matches across all competitions. Despite winning the UEFA Conference League during his stint in London, he only started 19 Premier League games and was not a guaranteed starter under Enzo Maresca. It's reported that the Blues wanted to keep him, but failed to agree on personal terms with the winger. This led to the club paying United a £5m penalty to avoid their contractual obligation to sign him for £25m. With just one year remaining on the five-year contract he signed when joining United in 2021 for £73m, Sancho is set to return to Old Trafford and is likely to be on the move again. The future of the 25-year-old remains uncertain, but former Liverpool star and talkSPORT pundit Murphy believes Chelsea would have done well to negotiate a deal to keep Sancho. During a discussion with Jim White and Simon Jordan on talkSPORT, the former Crystal Palace owner criticised the winger for failing to meet expectations. He also implied that Sancho is more concerned about his wages than reviving his international career, as he hasn't played for the Three Lions since 2021. "I'd like to think people evolve, young players especially, you have to give them time to make mistakes," he said, responding to criticism from Jordan. "But I actually think he's done alright for Chelsea this season when I've seen him. "His technical ability is brilliant. [He] very rarely gives the ball away, now end product is a question mark. He's played in a lot of big games and that's because he's reliable with the ball and he knows his job." On Sancho specifically, Murphy admitted the fee was steep but insisted he would represent value for money at a lower price. He said: "He's a bright footballer. "He turned up at Manchester United , one of the biggest clubs in the world, when he was 20 and because they paid a huge amount for him which was inflated, he was expected to hit [the ground running]. I think Jadon Sancho for £25 million is really good value." When it was time to bid farewell to Stamford Bridge, Sancho took the opportunity to show his gratitude online: "Grateful for the experience," his Instagram post read. "Big love to everyone at Chelsea who made me feel at home - teammates, staff and the fans. Wishing the club all the best moving forward. Truly grateful. Thank you, Blues."