Alexis Sánchez is undoubtedly one of the best wingers in the world today; the 2017 FIFA Pro 55-man shortlist only reinforces that. Last season, the Chilean scored a breath-taking 24 PL goals, providing 12 assists in the process. He literally carried a porous Arsenal team on his back, and despite all his exploits, the Gunners could only finish 6th. It’s fair to say without him, Arsène Wenger’s men would have been facing a relegation battle, no exaggeration.
It’s no wonder as to why most of Europe’s elites were fighting over his signature in the summer, sparking a bidding war mainly between Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Had not it been for the incompetence of Arsenal’s transfer team, Sánchez would be a City player right now.
It’s clear as day that the Chilean won’t be signing a new contract at the Emirates, leaving him open to a free transfer in the summer. There’s no club, if rich enough, in the world that would turn down the chance to get Alexis on a free. This is why Manchester United have been ferociously linked with the Chilean recently as José Mourinho has reportedly made him their no.1 target. However, here’s why Manchester United don’t need to sign Alexis Sánchez.
Sánchez loses the ball too much
It’s no secret that Arsène Wenger prides his team on favouring a possession-based philosophy. Arsenal play Tikki-takka and love to dominate possession, Manchester United don’t hold such values. That’s why Alexis Sánchez’s careless ball retention can be tolerated at the Emirates because it’s inevitable that the Gunners will reclaim the ball in a matter of minutes afterwards.
Manchester United prefer to play on the counterattack as the team is built on power and in a counter-attacking team, Sánchez’s tendency to lose the ball would be detrimental to United’s build-up play, making them slower & less effective in transition.
He may make up for it with a great goal ratio, but José Mourinho won’t tolerate Sánchez’s sloppiness in the same way Arsène Wenger does.
Young attacking quality
José Mourinho’s Manchester United team are filled to the brim with young attacking stars like Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard just to name a few. Unlike his teams in the past, Mourinho is building a team on attacking quality and young talent.
The signing of a 29-year old Alexis Sánchez doesn’t add to that project; it hinders it. The Chilean’s status in world football would guarantee him a starting place ahead of one of United’s bright young talents, thus stunting their progress.
If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. In 5 league games this season, Manchester United have already scored 16 goals, they’re an attacking force that can’t be stopped at the moment, and the contribution would be negligible at this point. Mourinho’s team are running at an optimal level, and Alexis Sánchez’s talents will not improve that.
