Juventus are said to be interested in the possibility of signing Alexis Sanchez on loan in the summer, according to reports.
Sanchez has been a sensational flop since his move to Manchester United from Arsenal in January last year. The Chilean has completely lost himself and is a shadow of the player that consistently tore Premier League defenses to shreds at the Emirates. His time at Old Trafford has been blighted by injuries so far, but he has done little to convince supporters that he is worth the £500,000 wage he earns on a weekly basis.
Recently the 30-year-old suffered another major injury that might keep him out of the side for around 3 weeks. He ruptured his knee ligaments in a 3-2 win over Southampton a couple of weeks ago – a game in which United did not score in the 52 minutes he was on the pitch but nabbed 3 when he was replaced by Diogo Dalot. It just summed up how little an influence he has made since his arrival in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Initially, the situation had been played down to Jose Mourinho’s negative tactics that saw the winger often spend more time helping out at the back than pushing forward to attack. He already started to get linked to a move away – some even suggested a return to Arsenal would be on the cards. However, nothing has changed since Mourinho got sacked and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got appointed.
According to reports in Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Juventus are willing to give Sanchez’s top flight career a lifeline and help restore his confidence. Solskjaer is keen to see Sanchez go out on loan, since it would be nearly impossible to sell him as he has 3 years left to run on his contract and earns wages that little to none of his potential suitors would be willing to pay.
Hence, a temporary departure seems the most likely outcome and Juventus could be the perfect club to ship him off to. The Italian giants are reportedly searching for reinforcements and could be interested in a move for Sanchez.
There arguably might not be a better club for the player to restore his lost confidence either. The potential of playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and former team mate Aaron Ramsey is sure to whet his appetite and get him a good amount of goals and assists as well.
Of course, considering his loss of form, signing him is a risk. Hence, if the Turin-based club are to bring him in on loan, they would require United to continue paying a major percentage of his salary.
As mentioned earlier, Sanchez still has 3 years left to run on his contract at United. Thus, shipping him off to Italy will only be a temporary problem to what will seem like a long-term problem. If the move does happen, the Reds will be hoping it works out and he returns looking like the player who was once among the best the Premier League had to offer once more.
