Reports: Alexis Sanchez set to re-unite with ex-manager
What’s the story?
Arsenal talisman Alexis Sanchez put in quite a few top drawer performances this past season because of which he has been linked with many top European clubs such as Bayern Munich and Chelsea. But, if reports from the forward’s hometown are to be true, Alexis has already agreed to a move to another Premier League club.
Renowned journalist Fernando Solabarrieta has stunned all the fans by reporting that Alexis Sanchez has decided on his future and confirmed that he will play under ex-manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
However, the 28-year-old has left his future in his agent’s hands. In an interview with BBC Sport, he said,” My agent will take care of where I’ll play next season. Now, it’s the Confederations [Cup], now it’s focusing on the national team.”
In case you didn’t know...
Alexis Sanchez became the first Chilean to play for Barcelona when he joined the Catalans for €26 million from Italian side Udinese in 2011. He played for Guardiola in his last season at Barcelona and went on to score 47 goals during his stay in Catalonia.
In 2014, Arsenal signed Sanchez for a transfer fee of £31.7 million. Since then, he has scored 53 goals in the Premier League and has won the FA Cup twice with the Gunners. He was also selected as the Arsenal Player of the Season in 2014/15 and in 2016/17.
Sanchez has enjoyed his international career as well, winning back-to-back Copa America with Chile. He was also awarded as the best player at the Copa America Centenario.
The heart of the matter
In a rather disappointing season for Arsenal which saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time under manager Arsene Wenger, Alexis Sanchez was the ray of hope as he single-handedly carried the team on many occasions.
But the pressure seemed to be too much to handle for the 28-year-old as he looked frustrated with his team many times, most notably during the Champions League Round of 16 when Arsenal were humbled 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich.
The silver lining for the disastrous season was the FA Cup victory where they defeated the league champions, Chelsea. Though he was ecstatic in the title celebrations, speculation around Sanchez continues to grow after Wenger signed a new two-year contract with the club.
Reports even suggest that Bayern were looking to sign him by offering him a mouth-watering £350,000-a-week deal.
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Author’s take
With a trusted source such as Solabarrieta confirming Sanchez’s arrival to the Etihad, it looks like Guardiola is looking to set the Premier League alight. After making two summer signings already, this signing would be the best of them all. The duo may even go on to win the Champions League.