SANCHEZ’S UNITED NIGHTMARE: WHAT WENT WRONG?

When Manchester United signed Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January 2018, excitement was at an all-time high. Sanchez had netted 38 goals since the 2016/17 season and was considered one of the Premier League’s elite players.

The Chilean forward arrived at Old Trafford in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to Arsenal.

For £14 million, United had seemingly secured a proven goal scorer, with Sanchez already registering nine goals for Arsenal that season.

Upon his arrival, Sanchez expressed his joy at joining United. "I am thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world," he said. "The chance to play in this historic stadium and to work with Jose Mourinho was something I could not turn down." His words stirred excitement, but his United career quickly spiraled into disappointment.

Sanchez’s stint at Old Trafford was short and forgettable. Over two-and-a-half years, including a loan spell at Inter Milan, Sanchez made just 45 appearances for United, scoring a mere five goals. His time in Manchester lacked highlights, save for an equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2018 FA Cup semi-final. By August 2020, Sanchez was allowed to join Inter permanently on a free transfer, marking the end of a massively underwhelming chapter in his career.

Despite early promise, Sanchez struggled to make an impact at United. He managed only 27 appearances in the 2018/19 season, failing to secure a consistent starting role under both Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Manchester City had shown interest in signing him before his move to United, but backed off due to his wage demands, leaving United to secure his services. However, Sanchez later revealed that he regretted the move almost immediately.

In a candid admission in September 2020, Sanchez disclosed that he wanted to leave United after his first training session. "After the session I got home and I told my family and my agent, 'Can you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?'" he said. According to Sanchez, he felt something was off about the club from the start, explaining that the team lacked unity and a positive atmosphere.

At the time of Sanchez’s arrival, United were in good form, unbeaten in seven matches and seemingly in high spirits. Yet, Sanchez felt he walked into a fractured dressing room. Though he made 18 appearances before the end of the 2017/18 season, helping United finish second in the league and reach the FA Cup final, cracks were already visible.

Things took a turn for the worse early in the 2018/19 season. Mourinho's bombshell decision to exclude Sanchez from the squad for a match against West Ham United hit the winger hard. "That had never happened to me as a player," Sanchez said. "It bothered me... to go from being one of the best in the Premier League to not playing in five months." Despite continuing to work hard in training, Sanchez never recaptured his form.

The Sanchez-to-United deal is now widely regarded as one of the biggest failed transfers in Premier League history. While Arsenal didn’t fare much better with Mkhitaryan, who managed nine goals and 13 assists, they arguably got the better side of the deal. Now teammates again at Inter Milan, Sanchez and Mkhitaryan's time in Manchester is largely remembered as a disappointment, leaving United fans with few fond memories of either player.