This is a make or break summer for Alexis Sanchez. He’s had two moves in a row that have really not gone well. He’s had two seasons of just not playing. Your career goes by so fast, you can’t waste it like that.
If someone can get him in and play him in the right position, you’ve still got a great player in there. If that’s West Ham, who can build their team around him, then it’s a great piece of business.
Wherever he goes, he has to be playing week-in, week-out. Not just to justify his wage, but for his own career.
And I am certain that he is desperate to play. I’ve watched him a lot, and it was never for a lack of trying that things didn’t work.
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Some players are happy to count their money, but that’s not Sanchez – he plays with determination and passion, he clearly loves playing football.
I know there’s talk about him being a bit of a loner, but that’s fine – some people are like that – it’s about what happens on the pitch, and you can see he’s always trying the right things when he plays.
The other factor is the uncertainty around West Ham. They’re fighting for their lives so, as much as they might be interested, he’s not going to go there until he knows they’re safe.
I obviously want them to stay up, but I can’t see Sanchez agreeing to anything until that’s sorted.
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And then there’s the manager situation. We don’t know what’s going to happen with Moyesy. We’ve seen before that he’s kept them up and then been binned.
What if the same happens again? Could you put it past Gold, Sullivan, and Brady having someone else lined up?
They can’t make any decisions on transfers until they know they’re in the Premier League next season, and they know who the manager is going to be. It’d be foolish to do it any other way.
For Sanchez, in particular, he can’t join West Ham as a David Moyes signing, and then a week later see a new boss come in who doesn’t fancy him.
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I wouldn’t rule out Sanchez going back to United and being a key part of their team next season. Football is a funny old game.
I’ve been in the situation as a manager where I’ve thought ‘right, I’m going to get rid of him and him’ but when it comes to it you can’t get the deal done, so they stay at the club.
Then pre-season comes around and they’re a totally different player to the season before, and they’re your key man the next season.
So Sanchez could definitely go back to United, look fantastic in training, and bang suddenly he’s important to their plans after all.
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