Barcelona have completed the signing of Udinese attacker Alexis Sanchez for an initial fee of £23millon with potential add-ons of around £7.5million.
The Chilean international was being chased by most of Europe’s top teams before signing for the European Champions. Sanchez has a five year-contract at the Nou Camp.
In-Demand
The likes of Inter, Manchester City and Manchester United were believed to be interested in signing Sanchez. However the player himself revealed quite early on that he only had eyes for Barcelona.
No-brainer
A move to Barcelona must have been a no-brainer for Sanchez. A chance to be part of a history making Barcelona team must have been really hard to turn down. Next season he will get his wish and represent the European Champions.
Quality
Barcelona’s policy of signing a few quality players each summer to strengthen their squad is a really good one. It means that they acquiring top level players and strengthening their squad year after year.
Alexis Sanchez has long been mooted as a future star and last season he showed that he is ready to make the step up to the next level. I rather feared that his talent was being overhyped and he wouldn’t live up to his potential.
Partnership
However in the last campaign he formed a deadly partnership with Antonio Di Natale, the pair scoring 39 goals between them. That tally was just two goals short of the record breaking Serie A partnership of Juventus pair Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet.
His pace, power and skill really were a key ingredient in Udinese qualifying for the Champions League after the club finished fourth in Serie A. A place in the qualifying round was a good farewell gift to his old teammates and fans.
Adaptability
The Chilean international is very adaptable. He can play as a striker, a second striker and basically anywhere along the forward line. This versatility will be a major asset to Barcelona next season.
For Barca boss Pep Guardiola to have a player of Sanchez’s quality and versatility next season will be a major plus. Last season the Barca squad was quite small compared to that of rivals Real Madrid. The presence of Sanchez in the squad gives Guardiola the chance to rotate his squad slightly and use Sanchez in different positions and rest some of his forward players.
Improvement
Alexis Sanchez has made vast strides forward in his career in the last few seasons and at 22 is still improving. If he continues to develop at his current rate next season then the rest of Europe could be in big trouble.
Sanchez being in the Barca squad will definitely improve their squad. For such a promising young player the fee could also be a bargain. With unrealistic fees seemingly dominating football these days, a fee of £23million for one of the most highly-rated young players seems like a bargain.
Ideal
This deal will benefit everybody. Udinese may have lost one of their best players but they have gained £23million to strengthen their squad ahead of their Champions League campaign.
Sanchez was in need of making the step up in his career and signing for Barcelona is one major step up. And for the European Champions they get a promising young, versatile player for a fee that’s not ridiculous.
I’m sure that Alexis Sanchez will go on to have a trophy laden career with Barcelona. In the unlikely event that he doesn’t make it at Barca he’s young enough to resurrect his career elsewhere. However the signs are good for the Chilean and I believe his career will now go from strength to strength.
Will Alexis Sanchez be a good signing for Barcelona?
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