Manchester United have recently been linked with the signing of Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez. According to the reports, Manchester City appear to be the forerunners for the signature of the Chilean star. Both Manchester clubs will reportedly test Arsenal’s resolve to keep Sanchez with bids in the summer. The 28-year-old only has a little over a year left on his contract at the Emirates and unless he signs a new deal, Arsenal would be expected to sell him rather than let him walk on a free transfer the following summer.
Do Manchester United have a chance?
The Red Devils managed to sign Robin van Persie from Arsenal a few years ago, but that happened because the then Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are friends, to some extent. But Jose Mourinho and Wenger don’t see each other eye-to-eye, which will make a deal very difficult to do.
Mourinho refused to sell Demba Ba to Arsenal a few years ago whilst the the Portuguese manager was at Chelsea, despite not playing Ba, and I doubt Wenger will have forgotten this. This could be a deal breaker for United.
However, I still think Manchester United can sign Sanchez from Arsenal this summer.
My proposal
Mourinho wants Sanchez, and Arsene Wenger likes Anthony Martial. Martial is not one of Mourinho’s trusted players at Old Trafford and he could be the game changer in any potential Sanchez to Manchester United deal. My proposal is Mourinho puts aside any grievances with the Frenchman, offering him Anthony Martial and some cash for Sanchez.
Swap deals are difficult these days, but if Sanchez really wants to go to Old Trafford, I doubt Martial will have any problem wanting to work under Arsene Wenger, especially as he will know under the Gunners boss he will be given a proper chance to play regularly. Another factor is the French connection at Arsenal. Martial will know he will be moving to a club where he will be trusted and feel at home alongside the likes of Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Francis Coquelin already at the club.
The deal is very unlikely to be as easy as I have put it, but I sincerely believe a Martial/Sanchez swap deal is doable. It all depends on whether Mourinho wants to swallow his pride or not and if he is ready to allow Martial leave, or still sees him as part of his Manchester United plans.
Should Mourinho be willing to consider this option, I think the deal has more chances of happening than Manchester City signing the player on an outright cash deal. Unless of course if the Citizens are ready to throw in one of their players – Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne or Raheem Sterling as part of the deal, that could force Wenger’s hand in my opinion.
