Alexis Sanchez has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, either in January or the summer, so there must be something special about the 21 year-old which has reportedly caught Sir Alex Ferguson’s eye.
After watching him in action, it is clear to see that he is a tricky player on the wing. He has plenty of flicks and tricks up his sleeve, and at times can embarrass the opposing defenders. His explosive pace is also an element of his game which stands him out from the crowd, and with his small, 5 foot 6 frame, he is able to combine both his trickery and pace to run defenders ragged.
Players who have frightening pace and can also deliver an accurate cross are somewhat hard to come by nowadays. Walcott and Lennon are England’s finest culprits at times, and I’m sure there are plenty more like them, but Sanchez has the raw ability to do both. His versatility is impressive, as he can work effectively on both wings as well as up front on his own – although his goalscoring has been called into question due to only 9 goals in 77 appearances for current club Udinese.
With Nani and Sanchez in the team, United would be in a great position when it comes to deliveries into the box and general creativity. However, they do also both have a tendency to go to ground and hold their legs in apparent agony – at times to easily – which is unfortunate, as diving is of course cheating, but the amount of free-kicks awarded to United would also be increased, therefore increasing set pieces and the chance of goal. Antonio Valencia will be returning soon, so Ferguson would have competition for wide places – which should only be a healthy thing for a big club like United.
He is also a hard worker. He can track back on those wings as well as attack – making some good tackles and then sending his own team on the counter. He would be a useful player who would add depth to any team, but when you are nicknamed “the Wonder Boy”, are named as one of the 50 most exciting players in world football, and are attracting interest from some of the best managers in the world, you must be pretty special.
The Chilean certainly has a good future ahead of him, but whether it will be at Manchester United after a £15 million move, we will have to wait and see.
