The night United lost to Burnley last week marked two years to the day United signed Alexis Sanchez in a swap deal.
The deal has worked out terribly with perhaps the only saving grace being that Henrikh Mkhitaryan has also flopped at Arsenal, saving us further embarrassment.
But Sanchez is our problem, even if he is out of sight. United are paying him £175,000 to play for Inter Milan this season, The Telegraph report.
Now ESPN report United could offer Sanchez a fresh start next season, writing, “The Chilean has been told he is expected back at Carrington in July.”
What’s going on?
It is unclear why this story is coming out now. If it is some type of brief designed to deflect from the fact no striker is coming in before the end of the transfer window, it does not make us feel any better.
Seeing Sanchez’s name is a reminder of a bad deal, made worse by the small fortune United pay him every week.
Once his loan at Inter ends, United will be back to covering his entire £350,000 per week wage.
Irreparable decline
In hindsight Sanchez was already declining before he signed for United. He scored only three goals in 18 months for United.
By comparison youngster Mason Greenwood has netted 10 goals in just six months since joining the first team.
The nub of this problem is that Sanchez has had a terrible loan spell at Inter Milan so far.
If it were going well they would be looking to buy him, and this discussion about a fresh start at United for him would not be happening.
Sanchez scored one goal for Inter back in September, and then got injured, which was pretty predictably by his United tenure.
He was a substitute at the weekend when he played just eight minutes from the bench for Inter. He has played just 79 minutes for Inter all season across five Serie A appearances.
This is a player who is a long way from the elite level he once played at. He is in irreparable decline.
United do not need him back, and this should not be presented as an option at all.
The best move United could make is if there are no bids in for him by July 1, would be the pay up the final two years of his contract and take the loss.
He does not want to be at United either. If he did, he would have stayed this season and tried to turn his fortunes around.
End this sorry saga once and for all, and spare us all the charade of a second chance.
- Fred has to take another step forward again next season
- Clarence Seedorf says he nearly signed for Manchester United
- A look back at the boldest decision of Odion Ighalo’s career
- Why we should be grateful United have given us exciting return to look forward to
- Marcus Rashford says he can’t wait to play with Bruno Fernandes