Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to have decided upon a style of play and the players who will be a part of this new set-up in the 2019-20 season. One of the players who will not be a part of the future of Manchester United is Alexis Sanchez, who hasn’t featured much under the Norwegian manager. Solskjaer got rid of striker Romelu Lukaku in the summer and is set to show Sanchez the exit door as well.
A report in The Sun states that the Manchester United manager could banish the experienced attacker to the club’s reserve team if a move to Italian club Roma does not materialise. The Italian club are only interested in bringing the Chilean on loan, but will not be able to pay the huge wages that Sanchez currently draws at Old Trafford. Manchester United are reportedly willing to pay a part of his wages to get him out of the exit door at Old Trafford.
Sanchez hasn’t featured in pre-season for United after arriving late after playing for Chile in the Copa America. The attacker moved from Arsenal to Manchester United on a swap deal in January 2018, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan leaving Old Trafford for Arsenal. Sanchez has made 45 appearances for the club so far, scoring 5 goals.
Good move?
Solskjaer is desperate to get rid of Sanchez, who hasn’t lived up to the expectations or his massive wages. The 30-year-old is said to be a “disruptive figure” as per the report, which is probably the reason why the Norwegian manager wants to move him to the reserves if he does not leave the club by the end of the transfer window.
Moving Sanchez to the reserves – and still paying his massive wages – may not be a very good decision as the Chilean could still contribute to the team. United have two young strikers in Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who have not been very consistent over the last few seasons which is why a backup option like Sanchez could be good for the team. Mason Greenwood is effectively the third choice option but any injury to the other two will see tremendous pressure on his young shoulders.
In Solskjaer’s new, front-foot, attacking team, Sanchez could perhaps settle in better and contribute with goals and assists. He can play in multiple positions, which is another bonus to a squad like Manchester United, which does not have the required depth in attacking areas.