Alexis Sanchez revealed he wanted to leave Manchester United after just one training session, asking his agent to rip up his contract and return to Arsenal.
Sanchez's Regret
Sanchez joined United in 2018 after a stellar season at Arsenal, where he registered 24 league goals and 10 assists in 38 appearances. Expectations were high, but his form plummeted, and he scored only two goals in three years at Old Trafford.
Speaking in 2020, Sanchez said: "I accepted the opportunity to go to United, it felt tempting and it was something good for me. I liked this club a lot when I was a kid. Eventually, I signed, but I didn't ask for information on what was happening inside the club."
First Training Session
He added: "Sometimes there are things that you don't realise until you get there, and I remember the first training session I had, I realised a lot of things. After the session I got home and I told my family and my agent: 'Can you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?' They laughed. I told them there was something that didn't sit right, it didn't seem good."
Sanchez continued: "But I had already signed; I was already there. After the first few months, I carried on having the same feeling. We weren't united as a team in that moment."
Legacy at United
Sanchez was regarded as one of Europe's best forwards when he signed, with then-manager Jose Mourinho describing him as one of the best attacking players in the world. The club even made an announcement video of Sanchez playing 'Glory Glory Man United' on the piano at Old Trafford, which is now his best-remembered moment at the club.
His on-pitch impact was forgettable, and Arsene Wenger later said: "The strength of Alexis Sanchez is to show initiative, to dribble, to take people on. These players are the most vulnerable when they have no confidence anymore because their game is based on feeling free to take the initiative. He had a high level of physical energy and he has lost that as well."
Sanchez eventually left for Inter Milan and, at 37, recently signed for MLS club CF Montreal.
