Sanchez move is ‘dawn of a whole new age’

Sarah Winterburn

Ian Wright has predicted that an increasing number of footballers will follow Alexis Sanchez’s example and allow their contracts to run down.

The Chilean has been able to command very high wages and a large signing-on fee after allowing his Arsenal deal to almost expire.

Manchester United and Manchester City competed for his signature and Sanchez eventually chose the former in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

‘In years to come we will look back on his transfer to Manchester United as a ground-breaker – one I feel will become the norm,’ Wright wrote in his column for The Sun.

‘Namely that more and more world-class stars will run down their contracts and move for nothing, or, at best, a fraction of their real worth in the closing months of their deals.

‘We all know players hold all the power these days and it makes total financial sense to them – and the buying club.

‘Deals like [Neymar’s] will be seen less and less over the years, while Sanchez-type transfers will increase.

‘Alexis is merely the tip of the iceberg. This is the dawn of a whole new age.’