Manchester
United yesterday confirmed the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal,
with Henrikh Mkhitaryan heading in the opposite direction.
“I am thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world,” said 29-year-old Chile international forward Sanchez.
“I
have spent three-and-a-half wonderful years at Arsenal and I bring with
me very positive memories of that great club and its fans.
“The chance to play in this historic stadium and to work with Jose Mourinho was something I could not turn down.
“I
am very proud to be the first Chilean player ever to play for United’s
first team and I hope I can show our fans all around the world why the
club wanted to bring me here.”
Sanchez is expected to be the highest
ever paid player in the Premier League, with British media reporting a
pre-tax salary of £500,000 ($695,000, 567,000 euros) a week.
The swap
deal that sees Armenia international winger Mkhitaryan, also 29, head
to the Emirates following a mixed 18 months at Old Trafford had been
expected for several days.
Sanchez had joined Arsenal in 2014 for £31.7 million after three years at Barcelona.
“Alexis
is one of the best attacking players in the world and he will complete
our very young and talented group of attacking players,” said United
manager Jose Mourinho.
“He will bring his ambition, drive and
personality, qualities that make a Manchester United player and a player
that makes the team stronger and the supporters proud of their club
dimension and prestige.
“I would like to wish Henrikh all the success
and happiness that I am sure he is going to get. He is a player that we
will not forget, especially for his contribution to our Europa League
victory.”
Mkhitaryan joined United for around £30 million in 2016 after three years at Borussia Dortmund.
Arsenal also published the news of the swap deal on their website.
“I’m very happy that we could finish this deal and I’m very happy to be here,” said Mkhitaryan.
“It’s
a dream come true because I’ve always dreamed of playing for Arsenal.
Now that I’m here, I’ll do my best for this club to create history.”
Arsenal
boss Arsene Wenger added: “Henrikh is a very complete player. He
creates chances, he defends well, he can absorb distances and he’s very
committed as well.
“I must say he’s a player who has all the attributes.”
De Bruyne signs Manchester City extension
Belgian
playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has signed a contract extension with
Manchester City keeping him at the club until 2023, the Premier League
leaders said on Monday.
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has been
one of the stars of the season so far with City manager Pep Guardiola
even describing him as “one of the best players” he’s ever seen.
“I
am really happy to have signed this new deal,” De Bruyne, who joined the
Citizens from Wolfsburg in 2015, told mancity.com. “As I’ve said
previously, my intention has always been to stay here at City, where
I’ve felt at home from day one.
“Not only are we winning, we are
playing great football. It’s a pleasure to be a part of and I’m really
excited about what we can achieve in the coming years.”
De Bruyne has
already contributed six goals and 10 assists in 24 matches this season
with 31 goals from 122 appearances in total in the sky blue shirt.
Alexis Sanchez poses in a Manchester United shirt and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in Arsenal shirt yesterday.