Alexis Sanchez: I wanted to return to Arsenal after Man United move
Alexis Sanchez opens up on his doomed spell at Manchester United following his transfer from Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez has admitted that he wanted to terminate his Manchester United contract and return to Arsenal after his move to Old Trafford in January 2018.
Manchester United signed Sanchez in a straight swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan and tied him to a contract reportedly worth as much as £500,000 a week.
However, Sanchez struggled to have much of an impact at Old Trafford and he found himself in and out of the first team under Jose Mourinho.
The Chile international ended up scoring just five goals in 45 appearances across all competitions before he was sent out on loan to Inter Milan last season – a move that was made permanent this summer.
Now, the 31-year-old has admitted that he did not feel comfortable at Manchester United soon after having completed his blockbuster move to Old Trafford.
Speaking in an interview quoted by the London Evening Standard, Sanchez said: “I got the opportunity to go to United and it seemed tempting to me. It was something nice for me, because when I was a kid I liked that club a lot.
“I ended up signing without much information about what was happening in the move. The first days that I was with my colleagues, sometimes there are things that you do not realise until you arrive.
“The first training I had I realised many things. I got home and I told my representative: ‘Can’t the contract be terminated to return to Arsenal?’
“They start laughing and I told them that something did not sit right with me. It had already been signed.”
He continued: “In a game with West Ham I wasn’t picked. That had never happened to me as a player. It bothered me and I said it couldn’t be possible.
“To go from being one of the best in the Premier League to not playing in five months. I came to my house and I was very sad. The next day I trained in a double shift, because I love what I do.”
Manchester United opted to offload Sanchez to Inter Milan in a permanent deal this summer as they cut their losses on the Chile international.
The Red Devils signed Bruno Fernandes in the January transfer window and the Portugal international was an instant hit at Old Trafford, as he helped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men to finish third in the Premier League and book their spot in the Champions League for next season.
Manchester United will begin their Premier League campaign with a home clash against Crystal Palace on 19 September as they look to challenge the likes of Liverpool FC and Manchester City for the title.
