SANCHEZ REJECTS UNITED

Alexis Sanchez has rejected Manchester United in favour of Barcelona in a major blow for the England club. Pozzo also held talks with two Italian sides — believed to be Juventus and Inter Milan — as well as meeting Barcelona’s sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, and vice-president, Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Sources in Chile and Spain have suggested it is the Catalan side who were first to offer Udinese an acceptable proposal, agreeing to pay around £25 million up front and a further £7 million in performance-related clauses.

Sanchez has spent the past few days in Santiago training with his national side in preparation for next month’s Copa America, but is reported to have been granted permission by Chile manager Claudio Borghi to travel to Barcelona to complete his move if necessary.