Alexis Sanchez will have a chance to resurrect his career in Italy after Manchester United agreed a deal to loan him to Inter Milan for the rest of the season.
The PA news agency understands United have agreed a 10-month loan deal which does not include an option to buy, with the Premier League club retaining control of the 30-year-old who still has almost three years left on his contract.
Sanchez joined United from Arsenal in January 2018 in a deal which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go in the opposite direction, but his spell at Old Trafford has been a major disappointment.
Alexis Sanchez has not hit the heights at Old Trafford (PA)
The Chile international, who managed almost a goal every other game during his three and a half years with the Gunners, has managed just five strikes in 45 appearances for United.
Those performances were in stark contrast to his status as United’s highest-paid player, an issue which grew into a major headache for the club as they sought to negotiate contract extensions with a number of other members of their first-team squad.
That left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keen to see Sanchez move on this summer, despite a lack of experienced cover in the squad.
Romelu Lukaku has already joined Inter (PA)
With Romelu Lukaku having also joined Inter Milan on a permanent deal and no replacement brought in, United have only Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and teenagers Mason Greenwood and Tahith Chong in their senior squad.
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Sanchez will hope to have more luck in Serie A, where he starred for Udinese earlier in his career before earning a move to Barcelona.
Further departures from United could yet follow before the European transfer window closes, with Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo among the fringe players to have been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.
Though United opened the season with a hugely encouraging 4-0 win over Chelsea, they were then held to a 1-1 draw by Wolves before Saturday’s disappointing home reverse to Crystal Palace, who had not previously won at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.
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