'We appreciate Sanchez's quality' - Inter CEO Marotta addresses possibility of signing Man Utd winger permanently

BetOdds Internazionale A. Sánchez Transfers Serie A

The Nerazzurri chief hasn't ruled out the prospect of bringing the Chilean star onto the club's books ahead of the 2020-21 campaign

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has addressed the possibility of signing Manchester United winger Alexis Sanchez permanently at the end of the season, insisting the club "appreciate his quality".

Sanchez's career went off the rails somewhat when he moved to Old Trafford from Arsenal in an exchange deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January 2018.

The 31-year-old had proven himself as one of the best players in the Premier League during a four-year stint at Emirates Stadium, but was unable to reach the same heights in Manchester.

A modest return of five goals in his first 45 appearances for United saw him slip way down the squad pecking order, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ultimately decided to send him out on loan to Inter at the end of August.

The Chile international was hampered by a string of niggling injuries during in his first few months at San Siro, before the coronavirus outbreak wreaked havoc upon the Serie A schedule.

Sanchez used the time in lockdown to work on his fitness, and returned to action in June with a renewed sense of purpose.

Only Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has provided more assists than the former Arsenal star since the resumption of the season across all of Europe's major leagues, with Antonio Conte delighted to see the attacker rediscover his "hunger" in the final third.

After watching Sanchez score during a 4-0 win over SPAL on July 16, the Inter boss told reporters: "He is a rediscovered footballer, with the right hunger. He suffered a lot, he is now well, he is an extra weapon for us."

The Nerazzurri have yet to decide whether to submit a permanent offer for the United loanee, but Marotta is pleased with the impact he's had at San Siro in recent weeks.

When quizzed on Sanchez's future by Sky Italia, the Inter chief responded: "We are happy with what he is doing. We appreciate his quality and we will make appropriate evaluations. We want to raise the bar, building a mix of experienced players with a winning mentality and young prospects."

Sanchez will be back in contention for a place in Conte's starting XI when Inter take on Fiorentina at San Siro on Wednesday, as they look to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus.

2020-07-20 18:00:06

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