Opinion: Sanchez financial burden is already hurting United
Ander Herrera is supposedly set to leave Manchester United after the club refused to bow down to his £200,000-a-week demands. This financial situation was no doubt inspired by the extortionate salary of team-mate Alexis Sanchez, with the winger proving to be a major burden both on and off the pitch.
Sanchez is thought to earn close to £500,000-per-week, when bonuses are considered, and he provides a perfect point of reference for players and their agents to exploit. He has spent a lot of time on the sidelines, since his move from Arsenal, and he hasn’t exactly set the world alight when he’s been on the pitch. Jorge Mendes, the agent of David de Gea, will be using this situation for the benefit of both he and his client.
It’s important to offload the Chilean as soon as possible. He has been given opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but has shown very little evidence of a player that warrants such an extravagant pay packet. We’ve seen Unai Emery give tough treatment to Mesut Ozil, with the German earning £300,000-a-week; the Arsenal manager clearly feels that unless Ozil can deliver top performances on a weekly basis then he is not worth keeping hold of. However, Ozil has shown more promise than Sanchez when he has been given chances.
Offloading Sanchez would allow for the club’s wage structure to become more balanced and sustainable. The one thing in United’s favour is that Sanchez is still a huge name that is marketable; clubs in Asia and America could see his signature as an opportunity to boost their profile.
United will want someone to rid them of their burden but, like most expensive flops, it may not be easy to find a willing suitor.