Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho has expressed his delight at acquiring the signature of Alexis Sanchez for what he reckons as a ‘free transfer’. The Chile international signed a four-and-a-half year deal at Old Trafford earlier this month after he joined from Arsenal in a straight-exchange involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Sanchez, 29, made his Red Devils debut during the FA Cup fourth round tie at Huish Park on Friday night, and he did not disappoint as he contributed his maiden assist from the left wing in a 4-0 rout of League Two side Yeovil Town.
The Chilean’s passing was not up to scratch during the game, but he still managed to creative several goalscoring opportunities for his new club before being substituted midway through the second period.
Sanchez’s arrival at Old Trafford has often been associated with the massive wages on offer, but Mourinho appeared to jokingly hit back at the critics by citing that United got him on a literal free transfer.
“He was cheap wasn’t he? Free transfer! He was free. So for that price he’s fantastic. I think everybody thinks the same in this country. Everyone has to agree that he is a fantastic player and the team that got him has a plus,” he told reporters after the game.
Considering the world-record £198m spent on the wonderful talents of Neymar, Sanchez could be considered a huge steal for United, having not only strengthen the club’s attack for nothing but also hampered the progress of Manchester City, who were in for the forward for most of 2017.
The United faithful will have to wait until the upcoming weekend to see Sanchez at Old Trafford, but before that, Mourinho’s side have a crucial Premier League outing at Tottenham Hotspur, where the Chilean is set to make his league debut.
Sanchez will be due a hostile reception owing to his links with ex-club Arsenal, but he will want to put in a commanding performance to end Manchester United’s six-year wait for a victory on the road to the north London side.
Man Utd players are ready for spurs