Arsene Wenger, in typical Wenger fashion, has driven Arsenal into a precarious situation. With six months left on his current deal, Alexis Sanchez is set to leave the club, either for a bargain price in January or for free at the end of the season but with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea keen on signing him this month, Wenger is likely to cash in on him.
Following Arsenal’s inability to tie Sanchez down to a new contract and their unwillingness to let the Chilean move to Manchester City last summer, he was expected to join the Citizens for free come the end of the season, but he appears poised to make a U-turn this month.
A lot has happened since the last transfer window, as Manchester United enjoyed a period of unrivalled dominance before falling into a mini-rut that can be linked to Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s dip in form which subsequently led to the overreliance on French Maestro Paul Pogba.
In a bid to lift the burden on Pogba and get the side firing on all cylinders again, Manchester United are prepared to swap Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Sanchez as they look to beat their rivals, Manchester City to the Chilean’s signature.
Over the past few months, Sanchez moving to City for free at the end of the season was the popular narrative with a gentleman’s agreement seemingly being made, but following the promise of a higher wage and regular playing time, the Chile international is likely to opt for a move to Old Trafford.
Sanchez is somewhat of an individualist on the pitch given he likes to take players on and make solo attempts on goal. His ability on and off the ball makes him capable of playing a free role like Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. Thus he’d be a great addition to a Manchester United side that lacks invention at the moment.
The 29-year-old was given a lot of tactical leeway by Arsene Wenger before the contract saga begun as the Arsenal boss was enthralled by Sanchez’s ability to conjure goalscoring opportunities out of nothing, and it paid dividends.
Sanchez wore his heart on his sleeve as he turned out for Arsenal week-in-week-out. His desire to win was telling as he always fought for the ball on the pitch and maintained a high-performance level for the entirety of most games he featured in.
Under the right conditions, he’ll do the same for Jose Mourinho’s side, with those conditions being, but not limited to making viable attempts to win silverware and offering him the treatment a player of his calibre undoubtedly deserves.
Having played for Barcelona in the past, Sanchez has experienced what it means to be at the pinnacle of the game; hence, he’ll be able to galvanise United in the Champions League.
Should Manchester United successfully sign Sanchez, Marcus Rashford will find playing time hard to come by, but given the club’s current conundrum, the 29-year-old’s acquisition is a necessity.
