The Chile international has endured a tough few months at Old Trafford – but his manager insists he isn’t going anywhere.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho doesn’t think Alexis Sanchez will seek to leave the club in January and has backed the forward to turn his form around.
The Chile international was considered quite a coup for the Red Devils when he made a high-profile move from Arsenal last January.
However, the Chile striker has struggled for consistency at Old Trafford, at times looking a shadow of the player who thrived during his four years at the Emirates Stadium.
The 29-year-old has started just five Premier League games this campaign, scoring just once as a substitute against Newcastle in October, and hasn’t completed 90 minutes for the club since the opening game of the season.
He returned to the starting line-up for wins against Bournemouth and Juventus but was dropped back to the bench for the Manchester derby defeat last time out.
To make things worse for Sanchez, he missed a penalty for Chile during their 3-2 friendly defeat to Costa Rica last week.
Sanchez’s struggles in the north-west have inevitably led to speculation about his future. Reports have suggested he is unhappy at Old Trafford due to Mourinho’s playing style and a lack of friends within the club, with a possible move away in January mooted.
Mourinho has been quick to play down such suggestions, insisting he has heard nothing to suggest the former Barcelona man is unhappy at the club.
The United boss accepts there is room for improvement in his game, but is confident the forward is on the right track.
“He has never told me that he wants to leave. He never told me that he’s not happy to stay,” Mourinho told reporters.
“He is playing like the team. He is improving, like the team is improving, when he plays he is giving us his personality.
“His desire is to play and to produce for the team and [he is] trying to adapt to the way we play and vice versa.
“Can he do better? We all can do better. I can do better, he can do better, all the players can do better.”
Comments are closed