Alexis Sanchez pay-off between £5m and £10m as Manchester United finally offload striker permanently to Inter Milan
Manchester United handed Alexis Sanchez a settlement of between £5 million and £10m to help sweeten the Chile striker’s move to Inter Milan.
It was confirmed on Thursday morning that Sanchez had joined Inter on a free transfer after a season on loan with the Italian club.
The 31 year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Nerazzurri worth £6.3m annually after tax.
Sanchez would have stood to earn around £40m from the final two years of his contract at Old Trafford even if he had not kicked a ball.
But United and Sanchez agreed to effectively rip up that contract in return for the player receiving a pay-off to facilitate the switch to Inter.
A specific figure is expected to be detailed in the first quarter accounts for the 2020/21 season - which will be released later in the year - but it is understood that the sum is between £5m and £10m.
Signed from Arsenal in an exchange deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January 2018, Sanchez failed chronically to live up to expectations at Old Trafford and managed just three goals in 32 Premier League appearances, with his miserable spell at the club dogged by poor form and injuries.
Sanchez’s time at United cost the club in excess of £40m in wages, including the £175,000 a week they were contributing to his salary while on loan at Inter, with that enormous outlay further swollen by the final settlement bill.
In a statement, United said: “Everyone at Manchester United wishes Alexis Sanchez all the best in his future career as he joins Inter Milan on a permanent transfer.”
Sanchez becomes the third player to join Inter permanently from United in the past 12 months, his departure following Romelu Lukaku’s £74m move to San Siro last August and Ashley Young’s £1.3m transfer in January.
“FC Internazionale Milano announce that Alexis Sanchez has joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer,” Inter said in a statement. “The Chilean forward has signed a permanent contract with the club until 30 June 2023.”
Speaking after United’s Europa League win over LASK on Wednesday night, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted Sanchez’s signing had not worked out. The Chilean’s arrival pre-dated Solskjaer’s appointment as manager. “He’s a top player who we want to see playing his best football,” Solskjaer said.
“We didn’t see the best of him for whatever reason but he’s a top professional and now we just wish him all the best.”
