Chelsea have reportedly pulled out of the January race to sign Juventus superstar Alex Sandro, which provides a huge boost to Manchester United.
According to an exclusive report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Chelsea have pulled out of the race to sign Alex Sandro, for the January transfer window at least. The Juventus superstar has also been linked to Manchester United, who will take this news as a huge boost in their pursuit of the Brazilian.
Alex Sandro has long been linked with a move to Chelsea. The player arrived at Juventus from FC Porto in 2015 and immediately became a mainstay in the first-team lineup. The Brazilian managed to dethrone Patrice Evra on the left side of the defence, with his playing style and aggression mirroring that of compatriot and legend Roberto Carlos.
Sandro earned plaudits left, right and centre, with some scintillating performances for Juventus. But, the present season has seen the player attempt to weather a personal storm, of sorts, which has taken a heavy toll on his on-field displays. While he remains a key player for Juventus, the club have resigned to part ways with the star rather than keeping him in Italy against his wishes.
#Marotta: ‘We’ll allow #AlexSandro to leave #Juve“https://t.co/xBmxZS5217 pic.twitter.com/jlrCdPIPfB
— CalcioMercato (En) (@CmdotCom_En) January 5, 2018
Chelsea and Manchester United came knocking at Sandro’s door.
Chelsea had emerged long as the primary destination for Alex Sandro. The left wing-back slot was where the Blues needed reinforcement and Alex Sandro is seen as the perfect fit for the said position. Also, Antonio Conte’s system and tactical ploy is similar to Allegri’s, which would enable Sandro to feel at home almost instantly.
Another telling point would be the contingent of Brazilian players already present at Stamford Bridge. But, with Chelsea now pulling out of the race, Manchester United are primed to have a clear run in at Sandro in January. Jose Mourinho has been searching for a potent addition to his options at left-back.
For large parts of the present campaign, Ashley Young has been United’s best player at the said position – not what you want to see at a club as big as Manchester United. But, Luke Shaw has, of late, had a re-emergence, with the player finally managing to lock in consecutive starts for the club.
Despite Shaw’s emergence, Mourinho will look to add to his options at left-back, with Shaw the only natural option available to him. There have been rumours linking United to Danny Rose and Ryan Sessegnon, but fair to say, Alex Sandro would be a better option, with his pace and experience at the highest level.
There are conflicting reports that Shaw’s emergence might see Mourinho mull over the prospect of waiting till the summer before adding to his options on the left side of defence. Juventus could benefit from all of this and it’s starting to look more and more like Alex Sandro will finish the season as a Bianconeri.
