Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester United has been nothing short of a complete disaster, but it all could have been very different.
The Chile international was expected to link up with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City before United dramatically swooped in and lured him to Old Trafford.
While pipping the Premier League champions to Sanchez was viewed as a major coup for United at the time, City chiefs were actually more than happy to let him join their bitter rivals.
According to the Telegraph, the Etihad hierarchy were concerned at the huge wages Sanchez was commanding.
They feared that by paying the 30-year-old the £500,000-a-week he craved, their wage structure would be significantly challenged and could have led to conflict among their squad.
‘We looked carefully at the situation and felt that if we paid Sanchez what he was asking we would have had a queue of players lining up demanding so much more and that presented a risk to dressing room harmony in addition to financial concerns,’ a source told the Telegraph.
Given Sanchez’s awful form, City ducking out of signing him can be viewed as a lucky escape.
United’s problems run deeper than just Sanchez’s performances on the pitch.
They are struggling to tie prized asset David de Gea down to a new deal, with the Spaniard desiring wages akin to the Chilean.
De Gea’s demands would see him double his £240,000-a-week wages but there are issues across the board with Juan Mata and Ander Herrera among those who believe they should be paid significantly more.
And while United try to offload Sanchez this summer, the damage may already be done.
