5 reasons why the Sanchez-Mkhitaryan swap deal makes perfect sense

Finally, the Alexis Sanchez contract saga appears to be coming to an end. After months of rumours, it seems as if Old Trafford is going to be the new home of the Chilean forward.

After rejecting Manchester City's £60 million bid last summer, Arsenal are now willing to let their winger depart to City's local rival. Arsene Wenger reiterated that the club wouldn't let Sanchez go without a replacement and the Red Devils are ready to provide it from their own ranks.

Out of favor, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is likely to go the other way, in hopes of finding more playing time and appreciation at the Gunners. With the clubs having agreed a deal in principle, the deal is now subject to both players' obligatory medicals.

Should the swap go through, it could turn out to be an incredibly smart move by both clubs, as we look at five reasons why this swap-deal makes perfect sense for all parties involved.

---

#1 Arsenal's last chance

Has a lot of thinking to do: Arsene Wenger

Arsenal's hesitance in sorting out the ongoing contract issues with Sanchez and Özil has often been criticised by the media, as well as former players. While the German appears to be on the verge of signing a new deal, Sanchez never looked likely to stay at the Emirates.

This transfer window marks the Gunners' last chance to cash in on the Chilean and it seems like they will also be able to fill the void he leaves behind. Mkhitaryan is an incredibly versatile player and probably one of the best options on the market to replace Sanchez.

Although Arsene Wenger has been adamant about not letting Sanchez go without a replacement, departing with the player in the summer would have been unreasonable.

Already five points adrift of the Champions League spots, with Liverpool still having a game in hand on top of that, Arsenal's road to Europe's elite club competition will most likely lead through the Europa League.

It's questionable how much Sanchez would have contributed to this season's success and letting him leave, while the Gunners can still get something in return, appears to be the right decision.

#2 Both players are currently unhappy

Alexis Sanchez is known for on-field outbursts

Admittedly, player unhappiness is a difficult topic nowadays. In this day and age, where tantrums are thrown over insufficient birthday congratulations and players are actively forcing their moves by not showing up to training, clubs can't budge at every show of discontent.

In this case, however, both teams could benefit from these circumstances, as the players are willing to cooperate to make the deal happen. While Sanchez is well-known to display his frustration on the pitch, Mourinho's problems with Mkhitaryan are also evident.

Assuming the move goes through, both clubs will hope to bring the absolute best out of their newly acquired players. The players, on the other hand, can start their next career steps with clean slates, something the Armenian playmaker could benefit from greatly.

#3 Mkhitaryan's career revival

The Armenian has been struggling for game time under Mourinho

When Henrikh Mkhitaryan arrived at Old Trafford in 2016, the Red Devils were hoping he would continue to build on the outstanding form he displayed at Borussia Dortmund. However, the playmaker struggled to hit the ground running in Theatre of Dreams.

Often deployed on the wing, Mkhitaryan couldn't display the same skills that earned him the prestigious Bundesliga Players' Player of the Season award. The Armenian never got a good run of games in the middle of the park and with Lingard playing in the form of his life, his chances have decreased even further.

It would be interesting to see how Mkhitaryan can be implemented into Wenger's system. Arsenal has one of the best playmakers in Europe in Mesut Özil and with Aaron Ramsay's return from injury imminent, the attacking midfield is arguably Arsenal's strongest position.

Should Mkhitaryan be moved onto the wing again, further struggles are to be expected. However, Arsenal's free-flowing attack has many parallels to the style of the Dortmund team he thrived in.

#4 Sanchez competes for trophies

Alexis Sanchez celebrating in the North London rain

Despite all of his footballing qualities, if you had to use one word to describe Sanchez it would most likely be "passion". The Chilean's will to win is second to none and a huge part of his current frustration can be allocated to Arsenal's failure to compete in recent years.

While Arsenal are expected to start their rebuilding phase sooner rather than later, the forward would be moving to a club that has only recently gone through that transition.

After years of not competing for the Premier League title, Manchester United have closed the gap on all teams except runaway leaders Manchester City. Sanchez turned 29 last month and will be eager to spend his best years challenging for every competition he enters.

It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils are truly back on their way to the very top of European football, but it seems as if the short-term success is more likely to happen at Old Trafford than at the Emirates.

#5 Both teams gain valuable assets

Both managers can look forward to their new additions

Last but not least, two fantastic players move to two fantastic clubs in order to be able to perform at their best. Very few swap deals have such a good balance in value for both teams, which is confirmed by there being no add-on costs for either side.

Of course, Sanchez would be available for free in the summer. However, the way the current market is going United would not want to get involved in a bidding war of European giants regarding the Chilean's wages.

Mourinho only recently admitted that Sanchez is phenomenal.

"What we believe is there are some players in the football world where, if you have a chance to sign them, whether it is in January, March or July, then you have to try. In relation to Sanchez all I can say, which everyone else says, is that he is a phenomenal player. I feel I shouldn't say much more than this." - Jose Mourinho

Arsene Wenger, on the other hand, will be getting a player he's been keeping an eye on for a long time.

"He has always been a very good midfielder but last year was the first year where he scored goals. I think he scored 10 goals in the Bundesliga so that of course makes him more dangerous. He will bring something to Man United." - Arsene Wenger (2016)

At first sight, this move appears to be fantastic for everybody that's involved. Hopefully, it works out as they envision it and we get to see both players tearing apart Premier League defences for their new teams.