UNITED Sanchez: ‘I wanted to sign for Sir Alex years ago’
ALEXIS Sanchez has revealed he almost signed for United when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge.
The Reds are believed to have scouted Sanchez was he was only 19 at Udinese in 2009 and the following year Ferguson spoke effusively about the Chile international to foreign reporters.
“We have looked at Sanchez and he has impressed us, as have other players,” Ferguson said. “He has had very good games and is an interesting project.
“We have gathered some background, as with other footballers at his level, but nothing more than this for the moment.”
United explored the possibility of signing Sanchez in 2011 but the forward moved to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, where he stayed for three years until he joined Arsenal.
Sanchez seemed set to reunite with Guardiola at City until United gazumped the Premier League leaders.
Sanchez arrived in Manchester on Sunday and was greeted by Ferguson at Old Trafford yesterday.
The 29-year-old revealed he had a 20-minute chat with Ferguson when he was in his early 20s about the possibility of joining United.
“I’ve always been motivated by this club,” Sanchez told MUTV.
“By their red colours, which have always stood out for me and I’m genuinely saying this from the heart when I tell you that this is like a dream come true for me, playing for Manchester United. It makes me feel really happy. I’m so pleased to be here at the Theatre of Dreams, as everyone calls it.
“Since I was a young boy I’ve always said my dream was to play for Manchester United.
“I’m not saying that because I’m here now and today it’s come true. I always said as a kid that I’d like to play for United, and I once spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson about it.
“We chatted for around 20 minutes. And I told him that it was my dream to come here to Manchester United. It really is a massive club, very powerful, and so now, when I got the opportunity to come here I looked at the badge and my hairs just stood on end because it’s a powerful club and the biggest in England.
“I believe at this club it’s possible to achieve anything. The badge says it all, it’s a huge club on a worldwide scale and I want to come here and win everything, the Premier League, the Champions League, and whatever comes the club’s way in the future.”