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The January swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez depart the Emirates Stadium for Manchester United, whilst Henrikh Mkhitaryan headed in the opposite direction to Arsenal, felt at the time like a piece of business that suited all involved. A win-win deal all round, was the general consensus.
Almost 12 months on, however, the win-win situation has descended into a bleak scenario for both clubs.
What’s the word?
Alexis Sanchez’s recent injury is almost certain to see him ruled out for the remainder of 2018, according to Goal. If that is indeed the case then it means a bad end to a dreadful year for the Chilean star.
According to Spotrac, Sanchez in the highest paid player at Old Trafford, with a weekly wage of £350,000. Yet, in the calendar year of 2018 he has mustered just four goals in all competitions.
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Meanwhile, since joining the Gunners, Mkhitaryan has produced only five goals. Though, the 80-cap Armenia international has also chipped in with nine assists. Given how often he has struggled to impose himself in big games though, the 29-year-old hardly deserves to be the north London club’s fourth-highest paid player, as Spotrac report he is.
Cutting losses
Neither Sanchez or Mkhitaryan have lived up to expectations at their new clubs, and it wouldn’t be surprising if either Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho or Arsenal manager Unai Emery opted to offload their underperforming stars. That could prove far easier said than done though.
With both players 29-years-old, on big wages, and in poor form, their market value is dwindling at an alarming rate. Both United and Arsenal are losing resale value on these assets and will likely struggle to find an interested club with the financial means to pull a deal off.
What’s more, seeing players on such big money fail to deliver will only cause unrest amongst fans and damage the squad harmony in the dressing room.
What once felt like a win-win deal has swiftly become a lose-lose for all involved.