Why Alexis Sanchez Is the 1 Arsenal Player Manchester United Would Love to Sign

Last summer’s big-name Manchester United signings have often struggled this season, but the same cannot be said for Alexis Sanchez’s first year at Arsenal.

The Chilean hit the ground running and has sustained his form throughout most of the campaign. He is Arsenal’s top scorer in the league and sits second in their assist chart. He has been able to adapt his game to the Premier League and made a substantial impact, and for that reason, he is the Arsenal player who would seem to best meet United’s needs.

He may not be a player who directly addresses a problem position at United—especially in the wake of the Memphis Depay signing—but the two clubs have broadly overlapping strengths. Thus, Sanchez's absolute quality would win out over the relative merits of a player who plays in an area where United need help.

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None of Arsenal’s defenders would seem much of an upgrade on United’s existing options.

In midfield, Jack Wilshere’s injury record means his development is hard to judge. Aaron Ramsey would be an interesting choice and could be a good fit for Louis van Gaal’s 4-3-3. After his excellent season in 2013/14, he struggled slightly this time around but appears to have rediscovered some form, scoring against Hull City and Burnley and providing two assists against Liverpool within the past two months.

And speaking of players who have recently rediscovered their form, Wayne Rooney reportedly wanted Sir Alex Ferguson to sign Mesut Ozil in 2010, per Owen Gibson in the Guardian in 2013. Juan Mata’s signing, though, means that United’s need for a playmaker is not as critical as it was then.

Ozil’s quality has been crucial during Arsenal’s recent run. Although the Gunners were unable to beat Swansea City last time out, it was not for lack of effort on the German's part—he managed five key passes in that game and was superb in possession, completing 93.5 per cent of his 107 passes, per WhoScored.com.

However, United have plenty of players who can create chances and make effective use of the ball from midfield positions.

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Another area in which Van Gaal may be looking to improve his squad is at centre-forward, but Danny Welbeck has scored the same number of league goals as Chris Smalling this season, and Olivier Giroud's output has been decent rather than electrifying.

Sanchez’s pace and physical presence—allied with his technical ability—are closer to what United need in attack at the moment. He is able to play across the front three and attacking midfield. That versatility would be important, given how well stocked United are with forward players.

The difficult truth for United fans, though, is that based on this season’s performances alone, Sanchez would be an upgrade on most of those forward players. Van Gaal has been unable to consistently get the best out of Angel Di Maria or any of his centre-forwards. Ashley Young has played well, but his two league goals and four assists compare very unfavourably to Sanchez’s return.

Comparing Di Maria and Sanchez's ability to adapt to the Premier League is an interesting sidenote in this conversation. After all, in theory, United should not need Sanchez at all, given that Di Maria was at least a match for the Arsenal man when they played for Spain's big two.

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Perhaps it is a question of physicality—Sanchez's low centre of gravity and upper-body strength being a better match for the rigours of the English game. Perhaps it is also that Sanchez slotted into a reasonably settled team, whereas Di Maria arrived in the middle of a huge transition at United.

Either way, given it is hardly likely that this transfer would ever come to pass, fans of the Red Devils will be hoping that Di Maria can have a similar impact next season to Sanchez's this time around. For now, though, Alexis Sanchez would be the Arsenal player who would add most to United's squad.