5 Most Likely Transfer Destinations For Alexis Sanchez

What to do with a problem like Alexis SanchezThat’s the question that’s on the lips of so many football fans right now.

Since moving to Manchester United in January, the Chilean has had a torrid time of it. The regular flashes of genuine world-class quality that were seen at Udinese, Barcelona, and Arsenal – not to mention on the international stage - have been few and far between, with many of the Old Trafford faithful struggling to think of even one or two games where Sanchez has played well or put in a match-winning performance.

There is clearly still a top-class player in Alexis, but his move to the Red Devils has turned in to a disaster. Some may lay the blame on Jose Mourinho and his stifling tactics, others may lay the blame on Sanchez himself, and some may view the issue as a mixture of both. Either way, it's not been a great fit and the 29-year-old simply isn’t producing anywhere near what he is capable of.

As the 2018/2019 season has progressed, more and more rumblings have suggested that Alexis Sanchez may already be eyeing the Old Trafford exit door. Of course, with the staggering wage he’s on, it may not be easy for United to find a suitable suitor to fork out for the forward should they actually be open to selling Sanchez.

Should Chile’s most capped player and all-time record goalscorer indeed be on the move, here are five of the most likely destinations for the hugely talented star.

#5 AS Monaco

Could Thierry Henry bring Alexis to Stade Louis II?

Following a poor start to the Ligue 1 season, AS Monaco made the call to sack manager Leonardo Jardim and replace him with the legendary Thierry Henry. While Henry is, of course, a legend on the pitch, it remains to be seen how well the World Cup winner can transition to a full-time role in the dugout of the club where he started his playing career.

Ever since Dmitry Rybolovleva led a takeover of Monaco in 2011, the club has gone from strength to strength both on the pitch and in their financial figures. The current Monaco regime has made no secret of their mantra of picking up players, spotlighting them, then selling them on for a huge profit. And that in itself made the job Jardim did all the more impressive, with him constantly having to sell top star after top star.

Henry has got a couple of months now to assess the current squad assembled at Les Rouges et Blancs, and that means by January he’ll have an idea of which areas of the team need addressing. Again, this is a Monaco team that has plenty of potential in it – not least with the impressive Youri Tielemans in midfield – but so much of the attacking pressure is put on captain Radamel Falcao, who will turn 33 early next year.

If Henry could convince Rybolevleva to part with the money, bringing fellow Arsenal alumnus Alexis to Stade Louis II would be a smart move.

#4 Inter Milan

Could Sanchez join Ivan Perisic at Inter Milan?

Over the summer, Inter Milan made a massive push to once again become contenders for the Serie A title. After a shaky start to the season, the Nerazzurri have started to put results together and, as of this writing, find themselves third in Serie A.

That summer spending spree saw them bring in major names such as Radja Nainggolan, Steven de Vrij, Sime Vrsaljko, Lautaro Martinez, Keita Balde Diao, and Kwadwo Asamoah. Granted, some of those may have been free transfers, but the message was clear: Inter were here to put together a title challenge.

In the mindset of looking to push Juventus and Napoli, Inter could do far worse than keep a close eye on Alexis Sanchez’s ongoing situation at Manchester United. Then, of course, there’s the fact that Sanchez has already proven that he’s perfectly suited to Italian football. After all, it was his powerful, direct and creative performances for Udinese that earned him a €30 million move to Barcelona in 2011.

The past several seasons have showcased just how hard it is for any sides to match Juventus’ dominance in Serie A, but bringing in Alexis in January would certainly give Inter Milan an ace in their pack.

#3 Bayern Munich

Alexis to replace Bayern's ageing stars?

Each and every season, there are always those giants of world football who somehow find themselves struggling to hit the right notes or to play to their vast potential. And surprisingly, one of the teams doing just that this season is Bayern Munich.

Having won the Bundesliga for the past six seasons, the German superpower currently find themselves sat in fourth place in the league table – behind Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Werder Bremen, plus FC Bayern have Red Bull Leipzig only a point behind them.

Football is clearly a cyclical business, and it appears as if Bayern Munich are in massive need of a refresh right now. Stars such as Arjen Robben (34) and Franck Ribery (35) are clearly winding down their playing days, stalwarts such as Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller feel stale and lethargic, and key figures such as Robert Lewandowski and Jerome Boateng were angling to leave the club before the 2018/2019 campaign got underway.

At 29 years of age, Alexis Sanchez could be the perfect spark to ignite some energy and directness to the Bayern Munich attack, particularly with how the aforementioned forward players of Robben and Ribery are only able to make sparing appearances these days.

Bayern desperately need to do something before their season becomes a write-off, and they are one of the few clubs out there who could match the financial demands of Alexis.

#2 Real Madrid

Is a La Liga return on the cards?

It’s no secret that Real Madrid still have a major CR7-shaped hole in their side. And to make Ronaldo’s departure even more of an issue, Los Blancos have had an awful start to the 2018/2019 season.

For weeks now, there’s been plentiful rumblings that Julen Lopetegui’s time as Real Madrid manager may be coming to an end, even though the former Spain national team manager was only appointed in the summer. In fact, by the time you’re reading this, Florentino Perez may have already wielded the axe and fired Lopetegui.

With a rotating forward line that’s featured the likes of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Mariano, Marco Asensio, and Lucas Vazquez so far this season, it could be that Real Madrid need a marquee, big-name signing in January to try and get their campaign back on track. After all, that’s so often been the Real Madrid way, particularly in the Galactico Era.

Make no mistake about it, Alexis Sanchez is still a top, top level footballer. Right now, though, he doesn’t seem to fit in with Jose Mourinho’s style of play at Old Trafford. A move seems best for all parties by this point, and a high profile move to the Bernabeu could be the perfect match.

#1 Paris Saint-Germain

Alexis to line-up alongside Kylian Mbappé?

We’ve already mentioned one French side in AS Monaco, but the most realistic option for Alexis Sanchez right now would seem to be a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

It’s well known that PSG have basically got an unlimited amount of money behind them, to the point where they essentially changed the transfer market itself with their astronomical purchase of Neymar from Barcelona for €222 million in 2017.

One of the prime factors in ruling many teams out of signing Alexis is pure and simply the financial aspect of any such deal. According to certain reports, Sanchez earns a ridiculous £500,000 per week. That is far and away what most teams in the world could – or would! – pay to just one single player on a weekly basis.

So, that means that any potential January or summer destination for the Chilean forward is instantly narrowed down to only a handful of clubs. PSG most certainly fall in to that bracket, and recent reports suggest that all of the relevant parts are falling nicely into place: Manchester United and Jose Mourinho are keen to cut their losses, Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the player, and Sanchez himself is indeed open to leaving Old Trafford and heading to the Parc des Princes.

Do Paris Saint-Germain need Alexis Sanchez? Of course not. But that tends to mean nothing these days when any potential transfer fee would just be a drop in the ocean for the uber-rich Paris side.