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Alexis Sanchez’s time at Manchester United has a strong sense of déjà vu surrounding it; Fernando Torres’ barren spell after his highly-publicised move to Chelsea seems to have reared its ugly head once again as a reincarnate in the Chilean’s body.
Just under 10 months ago, the Old Trafford faithful had been salivating at the prospect of their famed number 7 shirt having a new hero. In his last 53 Premier League games for Arsenal, Sanchez scored 31 goals and recorded 13 assists; everything looked set for the former Barcelona forward to be a hit with the Red Devils.
However, just as Torres looked set to become the prince of Stamford Bridge after a £50m to Liverpool, before ultimately becoming the dunce of it, Sanchez also looks a shell of himself after a significant move away.
Albeit a ‘free’ transfer, Sanchez’s move from the Emirates to Old Trafford included a significant financial package; the Chilean international earns £14m-per-year after tax.
The signs of this decline were there for all to see. Both Torres and Sanchez were signed in the winter transfer window of 2011 and 2018 respectively where, coincidentally, they both failed to hit the heights that we became accustomed to prior to their transfers.
Sanchez had scored just seven goals in 17 appearances in the six months prior to his move. Many excused that form as a way of the forward losing interest as he set his heart on leaving north London, but we now know that was not the case.
Similarly, prior to swapping Anfield for Stamford Bridge back in 2011, Torres was also out of sorts. The Spaniard had hit just nine goals in 22 appearances for the Reds before Chelsea broke the bank for his signature.
Both United and Chelsea ignored the signs, and both have been made to pay for their misjudgement.
Most worryingly of all for United fans is that Sanchez has until very recently still been starting, despite stinking out Old Trafford for almost a year now.
His constant inclusion in Jose Mourinho’s starting XI had been stunting the chances of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, players who are almost a decade younger than the 29-year-old Chilean and whose development is in severe need of game time.
Manchester United have always prided themselves on giving youth a chance, but Mourinho is throwing those morals down the drain by persisting with a player past his peak when untold potential is sat on the bench or being played out of position.
Whilst Sanchez is reportedly earning astronomical wages to do very little in a United shirt – he has scored just three league goals since arriving – those higher up at Old Trafford need to sit down and think about their number 7’s future at the club.