Alexis Sanchez is the only Manchester United player taking part in an international tournament over the course of the summer. And the Chilean winger – who has been heavily linked with an Old Trafford exit – has been playing a pivotal for La Roja so far.
Granted, it’s been only two matches. But Alexis has been absolutely key for Chile in the group stage. The reigning CONMEBOL champions have kicked off their campaign with two wins in equal numbers of matches, and Alexis has played a pivotal role in both games. Therefore, it might be fair to ask. Should The Red Devils reconsider a potential departure of Alexis this summer?
How good has Alexis been for Chile in the 2019 Copa America?
Sanchez has easily been one of the most important players for Chile in the tournament. He chipped in with one goal and one assist in the opening match against Japan, and followed that effort scoring the winning goal against Ecuador this past Friday. It’s now two goals and one assist in two games for Alexis, who slowly seems to be getting back to his best version.
His 2018-19 season, however, was a disaster…
We say “best version” because he couldn’t deliver that when featuring for The Red Devils over the course of the 2018-19 campaign. First, the Chilean lost the starting place with Jose Mourinho. And while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave him every chance he could to thrive, Sanchez kept failing over and over again. Plus, he suffered several injuries and barely featured for the club down the stretch.
All things considered, Sanchez finished the 2018-19 season with only one goal and three assists in 20 Premier League appearances. To put things into perspective, he doubled his season tally during his first two Copa America matches. But is this sustainable going forward?
…but is he good enough to bounce back?
Let’s be clear by saying that Alexis has not been the signing many expected when he arrived at Old Trafford during January 2018. But he’s not a player who’s already past his prime. He might be 30, but still has several years left to compete at the top level.
Manchester United should be smart with Sanchez. Considering Romelu Lukaku might leave the club this summer, The Red Devils should hang on to Alexis. And who knows? Maybe his Copa America performances are exactly what he needed to turn things around ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
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