Critics may argue United putting ÂŁ6 million in the bank account of somebody playing for another club is bad business whatever the context. But given the atmosphere a poorly-performing Sanchez carried with him, having the 30-year-old away from the training ground is what Solskjaer wished.
Sanchez cut an isolated figure at Carrington. He performed his duties but declined to interact much with team-mates, bar Romelu Lukaku, who moved to Inter earlier this summer. Any small sense of camaraderie was undermined by those colossal wages, which could reach ÂŁ560,000 per week with all add-ons included.
Sanchez was in mind when a United insider told The Athletic a month ago: âOle needs to get certain players out. Heâs trying to change the culture, but that takes time. He wants to sign players who are on an upward trajectory.â
Sanchez kept to himself at Arsenal too. A source with with close links to the Emirates had a fairly abrupt opinion on Sanchez when asked this week. âPain in the arse,â was the response.
At Arsenal there were cliques within the dressing room but Sanchez rarely belonged. Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal were natural bedfellows as Spanish speakers but Sanchez did not socialise regularly with any of his peers. In the dressing room, he was a quiet presence who became agitated after games.
One source says: âHe did not have friends at Arsenal. He was one of those players who, if we won 1-0 and he had not scored, would come into the dressing room and kick things. If heâd scored twice but weâd lost, heâd be absolutely fine. He did not mix with the players. He rarely, if ever, came into the playersâ lounge after games.â
His friend and fixer, Mauro, who has lived with Sanchez in Manchester, would watch games in the Arsenal playersâ lounge. Sometimes, an elderly lady would also be present, who most presumed to be Sanchezâs mother. Yet even when his nearest and dearest were in attendance, Sanchez would not mix and mingle afterwards, ushering them to the door and heading for the car park.
At United, due to the size of the club, the playersâ lounge is less of a culture. After the weekend loss against Crystal Palace, new signings Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James and Harry Maguire all headed into the family and friends area, posed for photographs and stayed for over an hour. This, they presumed, was the norm but most others steered clear. Paul Pogba was there, having invited the boxer Deontay Wilder. Maguire is said to have looked devastated by the Palace result.
Sanchez was allowed to stay away from Old Trafford at the weekend, The Athletic understands, as discussions over his move edged closer. But Smalling, who was not in the squad either, took time before kick-off to sign autographs for fans waiting by the South Stand entrance as the team bus pulled up.
Sanchezâs relationship with both the players and the coaching staff never did take off at United. The very public airing of his salary â estimated at 30 percent more than the next highest earner â had a direct impact on Unitedâs ongoing negotiations with David De Gea. Some feel the goalkeeperâs form has also been affected by the contractual uncertainty.
Mino Raiola felt his client Pogba was unfairly paid in comparison to Sanchez, while every representative of a United player who has since entered contract talks will have raised the Chile internationalâs salary as a barometer of their own clientâs value. Ander Herrera left after not getting the pay rise he desired.
Accommodating Sanchez on the pitch was also problematic. His United league debut in a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham on January 31 saw Pogba substituted then dropped for the first time, while Anthony Martial was jettisoned having scored three goals in four games before Sanchezâs arrival. Martial didnât score again that campaign.
In a dressing room fuelled by loathing and resentment under Jose Mourinho, life became uncomfortable for Sanchez. One source close to the player says the manager often referred to Sanchez as merely âChilenoâ, rather than by his name. Two sources have also given accounts of Mourinho raising Sanchezâs extortionate wage package â once in front of team-mates â in a bid to provoke a reaction from the player. A spokesperson for Mourinho declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.
