'I left Arsenal for big money Man Utd deal - I wanted to rip up my contract after one day'

Alexis Sanchez was ready to tear up his Manchester United contract and head back to Arsenal after just one training session with the Red Devils. The Chilean ace, who dazzled during his three-and-a-half-year spell in north London, racked up an impressive tally of 80 goals and 44 assists across 160 matches for the Gunners.

Sanchez, who had carved out a reputation as one of the Premier League's finest talents following a trophy-laden three years at Barcelona, caught the eye of then-United manager Jose Mourinho in 2018. In a rare swap deal between United and Arsenal, who are set to clash this Sunday in their season opener, Sanchez headed to Manchester, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan moved to the Emirates. Before the January switch, Sanchez had found the back of the net seven times in 19 league outings, a dip compared to his 24-goal haul the previous season.

However, Sanchez's form took a nosedive at United, where he managed a mere two more league goals for the remainder of the campaign. His first half-year stint at Old Trafford culminated in just three goals from 18 appearances in all competitions.

In 2020, Sanchez recounted his initial enthusiasm about joining United, only for it to be quashed after his very first training session.

"I accepted the opportunity to go to United, it felt tempting, and it was something good for me," he confessed. "I liked this club a lot when I was a kid. Eventually, I signed, but I didn't ask for information on what was happening inside the club.

"Sometimes there are things that you don't realise until you get there, and I remember the first training session I had, I realised a lot of things. After the session I got home and I told my family and my agent, 'Can you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?'

"They laughed. I told them there was something that didn't sit right, it didn't seem good. But I had already signed; I was already there. After the first few months, I carried on having the same feeling. We weren't united as a team in that moment."

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Sanchez's sophomore season at United, which was also his last, was even worse than his debut campaign. He managed just one league goal in 20 games and was resigned to a bench role for much of the season.

After being dropped for an away trip to West Ham because he failed to score in the first six league games of the season, Sanchez said Mourinho's decision to relegate him dented his confidence.

"In a game with West Ham, I wasn't picked," Sanchez continued. "That had never happened to me as a player. It bothered me, and I said it couldn't be possible. "To go from being one of the best in the Premier League to not playing in five months. I came to my house, and I was very sad. The next day, I trained in a double shift because I love what I do."

United executives decided to end the unsuccessful venture, loaning Sanchez to Inter Milan in 2019 before making the move permanent a year later. He subsequently played for Marseille before returning to Inter in 2023 for a single season. He then secured a transfer back to Udinese, his first European club after departing from his home country.