Tag: ALEXIS SANCHEZ

Alexis: I joined Man Utd to ‘win everything’

The Chile international has explained his reasons for leaving Arsenal for Old Trafford, believing the Red Devils have what it takes to claim trophies

Alexis Sanchez insists he left Arsenal for Manchester United because he believes he has a better chance of winning “everything” at Old Trafford.

The Chilean’s future had been the subject of speculation for months, particularly since entering the final year of his Arsenal contract in July.

A move to Manchester City collapsed in late August, forcing Alexis to remain at the Emirates Stadium as his contract continued to wind down.

City again looked to sign him in January, but United provided the Chile international with a better offer and his eventually linked up with Jose Mourinho’s men on January 22 as Henrikh Mkhitaryan went the other way.

And Alexis has now been given the chance to explain the motives behind his move, with trophies in his sights.

Speaking to Sky Sports , he said: “I think that Manchester United, since I was young – and I’m not just saying this because I’m here, I’m an honest guy and I never lie – I think it’s the biggest club in England. That’s what I think.

“There are lots of big clubs, and having played for Arsenal, they are also one of them. It’s a huge club and I was there.

“But coming here, looking at the badge, I think United have to win everything because it’s such a big club. The club crest says it all.

“I came here to win [trophies]. I left Arsenal because I wanted to develop and learn as a player, and get to experience a new club.

“Manchester United are a huge club on the global stage. I came here to win everything, otherwise I wouldn’t have come here.”

Alexis got off the mark for United in their win over Huddersfield Town last week and is set to be included again for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.

Alexis sets Manchester United shirt-sales record

The Chile international broke records for shirt sales following his move to Old Trafford from Arsenal in January

Manchester United enjoyed record shirt sales in January thanks to the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, after suffering a £21.1 million half-year loss at the end of 2017.

The club’s latest financial results, which were released on Thursday, show a four per cent revenue increase to £163.9m, giving them an adjusted projected revenue of £585m for 2018.

The loss in the latter part of last year was down to changes in corporate tax rates in the United States, which were passed by Donald Trump’s administration.

“As a result, the current quarter expense includes a non-cash tax accounting write off of £48.8million,” United said in their official release.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “Our solid business model has allowed us to invest in the future of the club with the extension of Jose Mourinho’s contract as manager and the acquisition of Alexis Sanchez.

“We look forward to the remainder of the season with confidence.”

Sanchez’s January arrival, which took place too late to be recorded in the figures, saw United set records for shirt sales and social media interactions, according to Woodward.

“Alexis Sanchez has set a new January signing record in terms of shirt sales, three times the previous record,” Woodward told a conference call with investors.

He said the Sanchez deal, which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to Arsenal, “generated some interesting social media stats”.

“It was the biggest United post on Instagram with two million likes and comments, the most shared United Facebook post ever, the most retweeted United post ever, and the hashtag #Alexis7 was the number one trending topic on Twitter worldwide,” he explained.

“To put that into context, the announcement posts generated 75 per cent more interactions than the announcement of the sale of the world’s most-expensive player last summer when Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.”

during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Huddersfield Town at Old Trafford on February 3, 2018 in Manchester, England.

Source: www.goal.com

Alexis Sanchez given 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud

Spanish law states that the 29-year-old will not have to spend any time in jail and he has agreed to pay the money he owes with interest

Alexis Sanchez has accepted a 16-month prison sentence for committing tax fraud during his time at Barcelona, although he will not spend time in jail.

The Manchester United forward was accused of defrauding the treasury of €1 million between 2012 and 2013, relating to income from his image rights.

Sanchez has, however, reached an agreement with the prosecutor to pay the money he owes with interest.

Despite the verdict, the Chilean will not spend time in prison as he is a first offender and the sentence is less than two years – which crucially, in Spanish law, prohibits jail time.

The ex-Arsenal star is the latest football figure to be punished by Spanish prosecutors for an apparent dodging of taxes.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho and Ricardo Carvalho have all been pursued by the authorities recently.

Barcelona star Messi was handed a 21-month jail term in 2016, but managed to exchange it for a €250,000 fine last year, while Mourinho paid to settle his and Carvalho was given a fine and a seven-month sentence.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo, meanwhile, was accused of owing €14.7m but has protested his innocence in an ongoing case.

Alexis joined Barcelona from Udinese in 2011 and spent three years with the Catalan side, winning a Liga title as well as the Club World Cup under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.

He left to join Arsenal in 2014 and starred for Arsene Wenger’s team until making the shock move to Old Trafford in January in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, despite it having appeared he would be joining Manchester City.

The 29-year-old has made three appearances for Mourinho’s side so far, scoring his first goal for his new club in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town.

The Red Devils are currently 13 points behind leaders City after 26 matches and return to action on Sunday when they visit Newcastle United.

Source: www.goal.com

Alexis could help Man Utd reach Champions League final – Macari

The Manchester United legend believes the addition of Alexis Sanchez makes the club an entirely different proposition in Europe

Manchester United could be set for a tilt at the Champions League final this season now that they have Alexis Sanchez, according to club legend Lou Macari.

The Chilean made his home debut for United on Saturday, scoring his first goal for the club in a Man of the Match display as they beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 at Old Trafford.

And Macari has told Goal that Sanchez’s arrival transforms United into a side capable of going deep in the Champions League this term.

“What he does for us is add competition for places, which any manager would tell you is fantastic. It sorts of livens up one or two others, and in our case it gives us a better chance in Europe,” Macari explained.

“There wouldn’t be many United supporters before saying there’s an outstanding chance of us winning the Champions League, but when you sign somebody like him it can be the turning point in your season in the biggest competition there is.

“Let’s be honest, the team was doing alright before we signed him but we needed a little bit of an injection of something and he just may be that something that we needed. Even for the money, I know they say about his wages and all that but the fee was minor compared to the fees nowadays.

“So I think it was a good deal and he can give you a little bit more of an opportunity to go further in the Champions League.”

Macari adds that the fact United missed some big guns when being paired with Sevilla in the round of 16 also bodes well for their European hopes.

“Some of the teams that we regard as the brilliant teams are not that brilliant at this moment, the two Spanish teams in particular seem to be losing what they had last year and the year before.

“They don’t seem to be as consistent, and with the right draw in any cup competition it gives you a chance of possibly, possibly getting to the final. Just having Sanchez gives you a better chance of trying to achieve that.

“I wouldn’t like to start saying we could win it, it just gives you a better chance with him than without him, let’s say, because he’s got that little bit of something about him, that little twist and turn, he’ll run at people, he’ll get fouls as you saw on Saturday plenty of times.”

Sanchez’s addition has meant fiercer competition for places in the United forward line, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford both missing from the starting line-up on Saturday. But Macari insists that can only be good for manager Jose Mourinho and the squad as a whole.

“That’s going to happen and that’s one of the reasons why Jose would have been convincing the powers-that-be that we’ve got to sign him.

“The other thing he’ll do as well which we didn’t have in the team apart from Jesse Lingard is somebody who goes at players, picks the ball up and runs at them, which is a bit of a dying art in football nowadays.”

United have two more domestic games before returning to European action away to Sevilla on February 21, with a Premier League trip to Newcastle on Sunday next up.

Source: www.goal.com

Manchester United trigger Mata’s extension clause

The playmaker’s contract with the Red Devils has been extended by 12 months until June 2019 after a clause was activated in his deal

Manchester United have triggered a clause in Juan Mata’s contract, extending his stay at Old Trafford by an extra year until June 2019.

Mata’s deal was due to expire at end of the season, but the Red Devils have opted to activate their option to prolong his stay by a further 12 months.

And United boss Jose Mourinho, who sold Mata to United from Chelsea in January 2014, talked up the attacking midfielder’s importance to his plans.

“Mata is very important. When I arrived one-and-a-half years ago, [they said], ‘Mata is in trouble, in trouble, in trouble’, and now he’s getting an extension of one more year,” Mourinho told a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Wembley to face Tottenham.

“An important player for me; important player for the club; important player for the other players.”

The arrival of Alexis Sanchez at Old Trafford from Arsenal has led to rumours that Mata could return to former club Valencia, or join Inter.

But Mata spoke of his desire to remain a United player.

“I still feel very happy and very proud to be part of this club,” he told MUTV. “I think everyone that belongs to Manchester United should feel privileged, and that’s how I feel.

“I’m happy with everyone at the club and, obviously, with the manager and my team-mates. Once you are part of this club, your football career is not the same; it changes, because this is one of the biggest clubs in football history.

“Every day I try to tell myself how lucky and how privileged I am, try to take advantage of every single training session, and try to see how important it is to be a Manchester United player.

“At eight, 10, 12 years old, I never imagined that I would play for such a club. I remember the big players – [Paul] Scholes, [Ryan] Giggs, [David] Beckham, [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy, [Rio] Ferdinand, [Nemanja] Vidic – and it felt so far from where I was playing, but now I’m here it’s a special feeling.”

Since arriving from Stamford Bridge, Mata has scored 39 goals in 172 appearances for United, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League during his time in Manchester.

[Source: www.goal.com]

Alexis Sanchez completes Man Utd move with Henrikh Mkhitaryan joining Arsenal

Manchester United have completed the signing of Alexis Sanchez in a swap deal with Arsenal that sees Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to the Emirates.

Sky sources understand that Sanchez has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Jose Mourinho’s side, while Mkhitaryan has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract in north London.

Sky Sports News reported that Sanchez and Mkhitaryan finalised their respective work permits on Monday after previously completing medicals.

Sanchez will wear the No 7 shirt at Manchester United.

Sky Sports News reported previously that United were leading the chase to sign the Chile international after Manchester City withdrew from negotiations over cost, with Chelsea also having held an interest in the forward.

But it is United who have won the race to sign the 29-year-old, whose contract at the Emirates was set to expire this summer, while Mkhitaryan becomes Arsene Wenger’s second signing of the January window.

Sanchez told Manchester United’s official website: “I am thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world. I have spent three-and-a-half wonderful years at Arsenal and I bring with me very positive memories of that great club and its fans.

“The chance to play in this historic stadium and to work with Jose Mourinho was something I could not turn down. I am very proud to be the first Chilean player ever to play for United’s first team and I hope I can show our fans all around the world why the club wanted to bring me here.”

We take a look at some of Alexis Sanchez’s best Arsenal moments

Mourinho added: “Alexis is one of the best attacking players in the world and he will complete our very young and talented group of attacking players. He will bring his ambition, drive and personality, qualities that make a Manchester United player and a player that makes the team stronger and the supporters proud of their club dimension and prestige.

Sanchez’s move to United ends his three-and-a-half-year stint at Arsenal

“I would like to wish Henrikh all the success and happiness that I am sure he is going to get. He is a player that we will not forget, especially for his contribution to our Europa League victory.”

Mkhitaryan described his move to the Emirates as a “dream come true”.

He told Arsenal’s official website: “I’m very happy that we could finish this deal and I’m very happy to be here. It’s a dream come true because I’ve always dreamed of playing for Arsenal. Now that I’m here, I’ll do my best for this club to create history.”

Wenger added: “Henrikh is a very complete player. He creates chances, he defends well, he can absorb distances and he’s very committed as well. I must say he’s a player who has all the attributes.”

Sanchez, who missed Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend, joined the club from Barcelona in July 2014 but his future had been the subject of intense speculation over the past 12 months as his contract wound down.

The move brings an end to his three-and-a-half-year stay at Arsenal, where he scored 80 goals in 165 appearances and won the FA Cup twice. Sanchez is the third player to leave the club this month with Francis Coquelin moving to Valencia and Theo Walcott joining Everton.

Alexis Sanchez scored 60 goals in 122 Premier League appearance for the Gunners

Mkhitaryan had a mixed spell at Old Trafford after his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, enduring a slow start to life at the club before playing his way into Mourinho’s plans last season.

He scored in the final as United won the Europa League and started the new campaign in terrific form before falling out of favour. He made 22 appearances for United this season.

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‘I think we have a chance’ – Jose Mourinho on bringing Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says he is “relaxed” about the transfer saga surrounding Alexis Sanchez as Chelsea reportedly emerged as rivals for his signature.

Arsenal forward Sanchez seemed certain to join Manchester City this month but the Premier League leaders decided to end their interest on Monday because of the costs involved.

It is understood that two other clubs, thought to be Manchester United and Chelsea, are prepared to pay more than City – in terms of transfer fee, wages and other costs.

Mourinho refused to be drawn too much on the subject of the 29-year-old after his side’s 3-0 win over Stoke but says there is “a chance” he could end up at Old Trafford.

When asked how confident he was of being able to bring Sanchez in this month, Mourinho said: “Not confident, but also not unconfident.

“Just relaxed, and with the feeling that he is an Arsenal player, with the feeling that he can stay there, but also with the feeling that he can move, and if he moves, I think we have a chance.

“I think most probably a player like him has other big clubs interested. Who knows?

“I think him, (Arsenal manager Arsene) Wenger, (Arsenal chief executive Ivan) Gazidis – I think they are the ones that know really what is going to happen.”

Mourinho went on to reveal that Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was left out of the United squad against the Potters, could be used as a makeweight in a potential agreement for Sanchez.

The Portuguese said: “I didn’t select him today because I wanted players fully focused.

“I understand that with so much talk and so much speculation, it is not easy for Mkhitaryan to play, to play at home, with this feeling that (it) can happen, maybe it doesn’t happen.

“So I prefer to protect him and protect the situation, and in the end of the transfer market, if he stays here, he is a very good player. Let’s see what is going to happen.”

City went close to signing the Chile forward in August after having a bid of £55million plus £5million in add-ons accepted but a deal could not be completed as Arsenal did not find a replacement.

An injury to Gabriel Jesus reignited the potential of a deal but City were not prepared to pay a transfer fee of more than £20million, while Arsenal were thought to want £35million.

That opened the way for other clubs to enter the race to sign the wantaway player, with Chelsea the latest club reported to be in contention.

City were convinced that Sanchez did want to join them but it appears his desire to leave Arsenal this month now outweighs that.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said after his side’s loss to Bournemouth on Sunday that a deal for Sanchez could be concluded within 48 hours.

Manchester United are battling rivals City for Alexis Sanchez… but where would the Arsenal star fit in best?

Manchester United have joined the race to sign Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez

Manchester United have sensationally joined the race to sign Alexis Sanchez by tabling an offer in the region of £25million for the Arsenal star.

Rivals City looked to be front-runners for Sanchez and have made a £20m bid of their own for the Chilean, whose Emirates contract runs out at the end of the season, but now face competition from Jose Mourinho‘s side.

But which side of Manchester would Sanchez fit in best? Who would he rather play for out of Mourinho and Pep Guardiola? And what could Arsenal get back in return?  Sportsmail have answered the burning questions as the Manchester clubs prepare to do battle for Sanchez’s signature.

Alexis Sanchez would add to Manchester City team – Kevin de Bruyne

Arsenal accepted a £60m bid from City for the Chile forward, 29, on deadline day in August, but the deal collapsed.

City planned to sign Sanchez for free when his contract expired in the summer but Gabriel Jesus’ two-month absence with a knee injury may expedite a deal.

“If he comes, he will add something to the team,” said the Belgium playmaker.

“He is a very good player,” added the 26-year-old. “Obviously we will see what happens.”

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal have received no transfers bids for Alexis Sanchez

The Arsenal star is expected to leave the club either in January or when his contract expires in the summer. City have been the frontrunners for Sanchez’s signature ever since the Sky Blues failed with a summer bid to sign the Chilean.

Arsenal had accepted City’s offer for Sanchez, but pulled the plug on the deal on deadline day when Monaco winger Thomas Lemar turned down a move to the Emirates. Wenger has a season-defining game on Wednesday night against Chelsea, but fielded questions about Sanchez’s future at the pre-match press conference.