Dubai: Not so long ago it seemed Manchester United were out of the game when it came to the ability to splash the cash on the biggest names in football.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Paris St-Germain and local rivals Manchester City were all grabbing the headlines with marquee signings and record-breaking acquisitions.
But with one move for one diminutive Chilean, United are back at the forefront of affairs.
City had been courting Alexis Sanchez since last summer, but with the costs skyrocketing with wage demands and agent fees – the move could cost up to 200 million pounds in total – Pep Guardiola’s side ended their interest in him last week, and United’s bargaining chip of Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving the other way to Arsenal was enough to appease the power brokers at Emirates Stadium.
To sign such a big player ahead of their rivals and the runaway Premier League leaders City is a massive statement of intent. It also illustrates the board’s confidence in Jose Mourinho and this move could be the key to settling matters down in the Old Trafford dressing room, where rumours of discontent have never been far from the surface in recent times.
This will be regarded as a victory for United over City, even though the Sky Blues removed themselves from the equation amid fears that the Chilean could upset the status quo at a club who, in all honesty, do not need Sanchez as much as United do.
As ever, results on the pitch will decide if this is the right move for all parties involved. Maybe not this season, but come August, we will see if United are back in the driving seat in England once more.
