Alexis Sanchez is officially out of Manchester United after the 31-year-old got his final paycheck. Sanchez settled for a £9 million pay off, a far cry from the £560,000-a-week salary indicated in the contract he had with the Red Devils.
Seeing however how United had no further use for Sanchez and that the player was bound for an uncertain future, it was best for him to move to Inter Milan. Now, he gets to continue his steady play since the football restart without worrying about his future.
It has been quite a journey for Sanchez, safe to say an unforgettable one at Old Trafford. After being acquired in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Arsenal in 2018, the Chilean player just struggled. He managed only five goals in 45 games in his first season. Seeing enough, Sanchez would eventually be loaned to I Nerazzurri for the 2019-20 season.
It wasn't a fruitful transition. Sanchez continues to struggle and his future was on the line. Somehow, he managed to find his bearings and recall his old form at the football restart, Sky Sports reported. The effort was enough to convince Antonio Conte to keep him, aware that Inter played a pivotal role in Sanchez recovering from a forgettable phase of his football career.
"The club deserves credit because he came at the worst moment of his career. He arrived after two difficult years when he was really struggling at United and then got injured with us," Conte said to Sky Italia via Goal. "We took the time to get him back on track, so it is only right for Inter to enjoy it and reap the rewards of that effort."
For United, the move also means they get a big sigh of relief in the financial sense. Though they paid Sanchez £9 Million to clear things out, it was a big discount compared to the numbers on his original contract. It also freed up the iconic no. 7 shirt of the club and most are now anticipating that to go to Jadon Sancho.
Sancho is the main guy that the Red Devils are targeting although negotiations remain. Borussia Dortmund is standing pat on its asking fee and United is still hoping to shave off some numbers off that contract.
With Sanchez out and some budget space freed, United could make another go with another counter-offer. Dortmund is still standing firm on its asking price but anything is possible moving forward.
