Charlie Nicholas says Alexis Sanchez should be offloaded from Manchester United this summer

Arsenal legend Charlie Nicholas believes Alexis Sanchez should head through the Manchester United exit door in the summer after failing to adapt to the club’s style of play. The Chile international made the switch to the Red Devils from Arsenal during the 2018 winter transfer window whereby Henrikh Mkhitaryan headed in the opposite direction.

Since then, the attacker has barely impressed in the United shirt and the current season has witnessed him struggled for regular gametime. Speaking on Sky Sports, Nicholas said that Sanchez’s stint with United has been a shocker and the Chilean could be offloaded from the club’s ranks by the end of the campaign.

He said: “It's been a shocker. I watched Manchester United with interest at the weekend. Marcus Rashford played out wide of the right and when Romelu Lukaku is fit, he looks sharp. It looks like he's trimmed a few pounds off him so the sharpness has returned so he's the one that scares me, and Rashford's pace. I think they're running down the clock with Sanchez. I think he'll be gone in the summer - that's the reality.”

“Sanchez has recently returned to the starting fold with injuries“ to Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard but his place won’t stand for long, given the recent injury setback against Southampton. The 30-year-old was substituted with a worrying knee concern during the Saints clash and reports have since indicated that he could be sidelined for the “remainder of the season“ with the ligament damage.

United are currently fourth on the Premier League table with 58 points and they are scheduled to face fifth-placed Arsenal on the road this weekend. The match remains crucial to their top-four prospects, given they are separated from the Gunners and Chelsea with a one and two-point margin respectively. The Blues have the additional advantage with a game in hand.