Manchester United’s Alexis Sanchez has emerged as a target for Manchester City once again as they close down on a replacement for Leroy Sane.
As per a report published by La Cuarta, Alexis Sanchez has re-emerged as a target for Manchester City who will dive into the transfer market in search for a Leroy Sane replacement.
Sanchez joined United as one half of a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to Arsenal in January 2018. The former was among one of the best players in the Premier League at the time and was tipped to take the Red Devils to greater heights. However, his move failed to see success, as he scored five goals for the club in 45 appearances in all competitions.
The Chilean was phased out of the team and had no option but to move to resurrect his career elsewhere. This is where Inter Milan and Antonio Conte came calling. The two clubs struck a loan deal, and even though it has taken time for him to make his impact in Italy, the risk might just be playing off for Conte.
Sanchez has come ahead of Romelu Lukaku in the pecking order in recent matches, slotting in as the second striker alongside Lautaro Martinez. He has been responsible for two goals and seven assists in nine games since the season restarted. For context, he had one goal and one assist in nine games before the lockdown.
Sanchez’s recent performances have convinced Antonio Conte to pursue a long-term deal for him. Still, it looks like it has also gained the attention of a certain Pep Guardiola who will be in search of a replacement for Leroy Sane, whose departure to Bayern Munich was confirmed last month.
Before his move to United, Sanchez was extensively deployed on the right-wing at Arsenal and Barcelona, even though he could certainly fill in on the left. He was not utilised as such at Old Trafford, though, which acted as a catalyst to his poor performances. Raheem Sterling can do the same role for Guardiola, and Riyad Mahrez seems to have made room for himself in the starting XI this season.
That said, they do need a backup for both positions, especially now that Phil Foden will drop to slot in as a midfielder after David Silva’s departure. Bernardo Silva can act as a backup for Mahrez on the right, but he has been used in the centre of the park by Guardiola quite often this season.
At 31, Sanchez is entering the last juncture of his career, and should not be considered as a starting option. This is a risky deal, but will not cost City financially, and could help them as a short-term solution while they look for a player who can permanently replace Sane.
