Manchester United board express ‘regret’ over Alexis Sanchez transfer during meeting

Manchester United board members met with rival Premier League executives last week and privately confessed to regretting signing Alexis Sanchez, according to reports.

The Chilean moved to Old Trafford in a straight swap with Arsenal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January and was handed a mammoth contract that makes him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

However, Sanchez has struggled to show he is deserving of such a lucrative salary in his seven appearances for the club so far, scoring just one goal.

And now Spanish publication El Pais claim that United executives expressed ‘regret’ over the signing of Sanchez during a dinner party in London.

Club officials were in the capital to participate in the auction of Premier League television rights, and they were scathing in their assessment of Mourinho’s swoop for Sanchez.

As well as failing to deliver on the pitch, the club feels that their outlay – which included a massive signing-on fee, agents fees and the loss of Mkhitaryan – could have been reduced had they waited until the summer.

Sanchez would have cost nothing then, though there would have been more competition for a player chased by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Secondly, Sanchez’s arrival broke the wage structure that the club had previously stuck to rigidly and caused tension within the dressing room, which has been difficult to contain.

United officials also feel that Mourinho’s approach to the market is too short-term and cannot generate profit, and the Portuguese coach will need his January recruit to start delivering soon or even more questions will be asked.