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New Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first act as manager must be to sell Alexis Sanchez, who epitomises everything that was wrong with Jose Mourinho’s transfer strategy at Old Trafford.
What’s the word, then?
Since signing for the Red Devils from Arsenal back in January, the Chile international has scored just four Premier League goals for the club who are reportedly paying him an eye-watering £350k-a-week in Manchester, and that’s before you take into account bonuses and image rights which put that figure closer to £500k-a-week (according to The Telegraph).
The Times also reports that the former Udinese and Barcelona forward has got his agent, Fernando Felicevich, to put his client’s name out there to alert any potential suitors, with French champions Paris Saint-Germain reportedly interested.
Should he see out the remainder of his contract, Sanchez will cost the 20-time Premier League champions a total fee of around £80m, the same price at which they sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid – it would be somewhat justified if the 30-year-old was playing well, but he is currently one of the worst performing players at the club.
Why Sanchez must go
Mourinho caused massive disharmony throughout the United dressing room, alienating his players at every chance he got, but he won’t have caused much more damage than he did when he brought Sanchez through the Old Trafford door.
On such astronomical wages, the only thing United have got out of the player is a plea for other clubs to come and rescue him, and some awful performances on the pitch.
Aside from just him, his impact on other star players at the club won’t have been a positive one. Key names such as David de Gea, whose contract was set to expire in the summer but for an extension to be triggered, will be wondering why he isn’t earning Sanchez-esque numbers despite him being arguably the best and most important player at the club.
If United are to move on from Mourinho’s botched reign, they must also look to phase out the players that contributed to the rot he set in.