Alexis Sanchez: 'I Wanted to Rip Up My Manchester United Contract After First Training' – A Reflection on His Misadventure

Alexis Sanchez has revealed that he wanted to terminate his Manchester United contract just a day after he joined.
The high-profile forward, who scored 80 times for Arsenal, admitted thinking twice about his move in 2018 from the Gunners to United. Alexis, who dazzled during his time in north London, was initially on course to join Manchester City before a dramatic switch saw him don the United jersey instead.

Despite stepping onto the Old Trafford pitch hoping to replicate his stellar performances, Sanchez’s time at United got off to a tumultuous start under then-manager Jose Mourinho. Sanchez previously shared his regrets about the transfer on Instagram, saying: “Before, I had an agreement with Man City, but due to football issues, I accepted the opportunity to go to United. It felt tempting and it was something good for me.

“I liked this club a lot when I was a kid. Eventually, I signed but I didn’t ask for information on what was happening inside the club. Sometimes there are things that you don’t realise until you get there and I remember the first training session I had, I realised a lot of things.”

He added: “After the session I got home and I told my family and my agent: ‘Can you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?’ They laughed, I told them there’s something that doesn’t sit right, it doesn’t seem good. But I already signed, I was already there. After the first few months I carried on having the same feeling, we weren’t united as a team in that moment.”

Sanchez’s time at Old Trafford could only be described as a misadventure. With a meagre tally of five goals in 45 matches, his stint was cut short when he and United parted ways in 2020. A switch to Inter Milan followed, where he enjoyed a more successful spell scoring 20 goals over 109 appearances before signing with Marseille in 2022.

In 2023, the Chilean made a return to the San Siro but this tenure proved less prolific, and he managed only four goals from 33 outings in all competitions. This summer heralded yet another move for Sanchez, this time to Udinese. Currently sidelined due to calf issues, his debut for the Italian club is anticipated around mid-October, reports Football London.

Despite United’s woes with the Sanchez deal, Arsenal have also had their fair share of disastrous signings over the years. This includes the club-record purchase of Nicolas Pepe for a whopping £72million in 2019. Despite lighting up Ligue 1 with Lille and scoring 35 league goals in 74 games from the right wing, Pepe struggled to make his mark in the Premier League.

The Ivory Coast international managed a mere 16 goals in 80 appearances in England’s top flight. He was even loaned out to Nice in his final season with the Gunners in 2022/23 before moving to Trabzonspor on a free transfer, despite having a year left on his contract.

However, it seems Arsenal have learned from their past mistakes with transfers. Under Edu and Mikel Arteta, the focus has shifted towards youth development and recruiting younger players who have already proven themselves in the Premier League, such as Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.

When it comes to signing older players, Arsenal have been more frugal – Leandro Trossard cost a reasonable £27million from Brighton at the age of 28, while Jorginho was a bargain at just £12million.

In contrast, United have made some costly errors in the transfer market since Sir Alex Ferguson ‘s days in charge – most notably re-signing Paul Pogba for a record-breaking fee of £89million from Juventus in 2016, only to let him return to his former club on a free six years later.

Jadon Sancho, who joined Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund for a whopping £73million in 2021, has struggled to make an impact in the red shirt. With only 12 goals in 83 games for the team, he’s now on a season-long loan with Premier League competitors Chelsea, where he aims to leave his mark and secure a permanent deal.