A stunning performance from the Chilean playmaker was more than enough to push Udinese in the Top Four of the Italian Serie A last season just ahead of fifth place Lazio - thanks to a greater goal difference. His contributions however did not go unnoticed by the world’s current most dangerous team.
A move from Sanchez to Barcelona soon became one of the main summer transfer topics. The 22-year-old forward was giving the green light to skip his country’s preparation period ahead of the on-going Copa America tournament due to promising negotiations between Udinese and the Catalans.
Delays nevertheless saw Sanchez compete in the continental competition with suspense at the back of his mind. But a deal finally took place on Wednesday afternoon, three days after Chile’s surprising disqualification from the contest.
The deal is reportedly worth a total of 37.5 million euros, and his expensive transfer eventually turns out to be his precious key to much greater heights in the game. The young Sanchez, who has earned respect through his talent and determination, will thus feature in one of the planet’s most effective football front lines, already powered by the likes of Lionel Messi and David Villa.
With Bojan joining AS Roma, Sanchez is virtually guaranteed a place in the team as a starter. Fortunately for him, it appears Coach Pep Guardiola will have no problems in adjusting his side to suit his needs:
“He is very young, he can play in three different attacking positions, he has a lot of defensive intensity, he can unlock a match and, from what I’ve been told, he is also a very good boy,” Guardiola declared during a press conference on Tuesday.
Alexis Sanchez will be undergoing a medical and signing his new deal with Barcelona on July 25. With huge expectations now lying ahead of him, he will certainly not allow any margin for error or disappointment in his displays.
Alexis Sanchez video highlights:
