Former Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez has revealed that he regretted joining the club after his very first training session and immediately wanted to tear up his contract and return to Arsenal.
Sanchez made the high profile switch to Old Trafford in January 2018 in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who didn’t fare much better at Arsenal. He had previously been close to joining Manchester City, but United gazumped their neighbours with an enormous contract.
That deal made Sanchez, a two-time FA Cup winner with the Gunners and arguably the best forward in the Premier League at the time, the highest paid player in England on terms that could reach around £500,000 per week with various bonuses.
Looking back, it was clear to see it was a mistake for both parties. Sanchez looked a shadow of his former self in a United shirt, while the club had blown apart the wage structure to do the deal, which was both a significant financial burden and a problem in later talks for other players.
But to now hear that Sanchez was unhappy as soon as day one stills comes as a shock, admitting that he accepted the offer without much ‘information’ and relying on his perception of the club he had as a child. It seems neither player nor club did suitable due diligence.
“I got the opportunity to go to United and it seemed tempting to me. It was something nice for me, because when I was a kid I liked that club a lot,” Sanchez explained in an Instagram video.