Arsenal, Alexis Sanchez Had Agreed on New Contract Prior to Exit, Says Dick Law

Former Arsenal transfer chief Dick Law has revealed the club had agreed on a new contract with Alexis Sanchez prior to his departure to Manchester United last year. 

Sanchez moved to United in January 2018 in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan with just six months remaining on his deal at Arsenal.

Law, who spent eight years at Arsenal and served as their transfer and contract negotiator, told Goal's Charles Watts that Sanchez had agreed on a contract extension in 2016/17 before changing his mind:

"We had a deal. It was in December, and we had been talking to his agent [Fernando Felicevich] throughout all of 2016, the whole year. We got to December, I flew to Santiago and we did the deal.

"The player agreed to it on a phone call from Fernando's office. Fernando and I shook hands and discussed how difficult the negotiation had been and we had the deal done. 

"The contract team drafted the new contract and sent it over to the lawyers representing Sanchez and in that space of time, while the documents were being proofed, he changed his mind for whatever reason.

"We don't know who got to the player, or why he changed his mind. But the bottom line was, he did."

Law added that Sanchez could have left for Manchester City in 2017.

However, the Sky Blues did not make an offer for him until the final day of the transfer window, and the Gunners were unable to get a deal over the line for then-Monaco winger Thomas Lemar, who would have replaced him.

Arsenal were left in a difficult situation by the Chilean's U-turn, because he had been a sensational addition to the team since they signed him from Barcelona in 2014.

The forward was a tireless and tenacious worker in the final third who could be devastating. In the 2016-17 campaign, his final full season with the Gunners, he notched 30 goals and 18 assists in all competitions.

However, his departure may have been a blessing in disguise for Arsenal, as he has appeared to be a spent force since moving to Old Trafford.

In his 18 months with United, Sanchez's form has been well below the standard he's capable of, with just five goals scored.

Following United's 2-0 home defeat to relegated Cardiff City on the final day of last season courtesy of a brace from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, football writer Richard Jolly put Sanchez's contributions in perspective:

The forward is only 30, but a hectic international schedule has perhaps taken its toll on him.

Sanchez played international summer tournaments with Chile in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017—the FIFA World Cup, two Copas America and the Confederations Cup—and reached the final of the latter three, so he had little time to rest between long club seasons.

To make matters worse for United, his wages at Old Trafford are thought to be in the region of £500,000 per week, according to Watts.

Goal's Ronan Murphy likened Sanchez to Game of Thrones star Lena Headey:

Law himself was taken aback by the wages on offer to him at United, which he suggested are "crazy."

"I don't think Manchester United have got what they paid for with Sanchez," he added.