Alexis Sanchez’s Man Utd exit marks end of an era as Solskjaer targets young, hungry stars like Jadon Sancho
IT was a signing both sides regretted before the ink was dry on the paper.
Now Alexis Sanchez has left Manchester United joining Inter Milan permanently and the club’s transfer strategy has totally changed.
Perhaps that is the only positive to come out of his highly expensive, unproductive stay.
United no longer want to go Galactico for the big-name established signing.
Yes, Jadon Sancho will cost a Premier League record at £110million.
But he is 20 years old, with a bright future and ready to grow with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new squad.
That is what the boss wants — young hungry players who will make their names with the club.
No more Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Bastian Schweinsteiger and definitely no more Sanchez.
Chilean ace Sanchez, 31, has been the undoubted top of the flops. The worst example of the modern-day player who turns off so many fans.
Overpaid and underperforming.
The club will not be lured into such a transfer again.
For Sanchez, it was all about the pay packet.
He might deny it but then why did he sit back and allow United and neighbours Manchester City get into a bidding war on his wages.
There was no fee involved in his move two-and-a-half years ago with Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way to Arsenal.
It proved a disastrous deal for United, with City undoubtedly dodging a bullet.
How could they pay him £505,000 a week when they had legends like Sergio Aguero and David Silva on half that.
They knew when the figures got silly they were risking upsetting the camp and that is exactly what happened at United.
Every contract negotiation after that saw players basing their worth to the team on what Sanchez was doing and he was not doing a lot.
The figures are staggering and not in a good way.
His 79 weeks at United cost £39.9m. His 49 weeks with Inter Milan cost £19.4m as they were still picking up £395,000 of his weekly wage during his year-long loan at the San Siro.
That works out at £11.86m for each of his paltry five goals he scored for United and . . . wait for it . . . £28,800 for every touch of the ball.
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United let him leave on a free but still had to pay him another £9m to get him off the books.
Sanchez’s attitude had been all wrong from the start.
Behind the scenes it did not take him long to start moaning to team-mates about how United were playing under then boss Jose Mourinho.
About how he would have fitted in so much better at City.
While someone like Bruno Fernandes, who arrived in January for £46.6m, has lifted Old Trafford, Sanchez helped to suck the life out of it.
It is all why Manchester United went back to the Sir Alex Ferguson trick of finding out fully about the character of the person as well as the ability of the footballer before signing them.
When Solskjaer rid himself of Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku last summer he was going back to the future.
Structuring a side in the mould of those that made the club famous under Sir Matt Busby and Fergie.
The young stars are still very handsomely rewarded but they know there will be further riches down the line — and not just cash, but silverware.
Not that Sir Alex did not spend big, he did.
But always on players whose reputations would be enhanced at the club and whose best days were still ahead of them.
The drive in that Class of 92 was also so important, players brought up at the club. For them all that mattered was United.
Like now where the immense talent in the boots of strikers Mason Greenwood, 18, and Marcus Rashford, 22, midfielder Scott McTominay, 23, and left-back Brandon Williams, 19, points to an exciting future.
He has also turned French star Anthony Martial, 24, into a goal-hungry striker.
Let’s not forget there is still huge potential in winger Daniel James, 22, who could end up looking an absolute steal at £15m.
While in Dean Henderson, 23, the academy graduate who has just returned from two successful seasons on loan at Sheffield United, they have their goalkeeper for the future.
Just yesterday Rashford, Greenwood, Martial and Henderson took up four of the eight nominations for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year.
If only £89m record buy Paul Pogba could find his best form in the centre of midfield they would have some team again.
It is already a side the United fans can relate to again and enjoy the positive approach.
Sanchez and United could meet again very soon.
In the next fortnight, in fact, in Cologne in the final of the Europa League.
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When a very unfortunate past would meet a very bright future.
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In celebrating his permanent move this week, Sanchez said: “I’m here to win and I’m happy that I’m staying here at Inter!”
Not half as happy as they are at Old Trafford.
