‘Sanchez attitude worth millions’
ALEXIS SANCHEZ will step out at St James’ Park today as the best-paid star in the Premier League.
Reports of his salary vary from £350,000 to £600,000 a week depending on whether tax, image rights and bonuses are taken into account.
For that money, the Chilean will be expected to provide plenty of goals and assists for Manchester United. Yet manager Jose Mourinho claims it was the 29-year-old’s work ethic and experience of handling expectations at Barcelona that persuaded him to gazump Manchester City.
‘I like to have a player in my team that loses the ball in minute 91 and doesn’t stop until he recovers that ball even if he is tired. Just like he was in the last minute of our last match. I like this attitude,’ said Mourinho.
‘I’ve always said that the crucial moment in football is when your team loses the ball and you become exposed and open for the opponent to hurt you.
‘When you have players in the team of that mentality where they say, I made that mistake or I lost the ball and I’m going to recover it, that is very important.
‘Alexis also has a level my attacking players don’t have. He has played Champions League for a few different clubs.
‘Of my other boys, Romelu Lukaku is the first season in the Champions League, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, just a few matches. We don’t have many with that knowhow.’
A big reputation brings its own problems too and Sanchez (right) has been targeted for some rough challenges.
Mourinho said: ‘He has received some bad tackles. I don’t like the word “protect” because it looks like referees have to protect only the top players. They know the rules and if the card has to come then I’m sure the refs will be in control of it.
‘Do you want defenders to let top players play with freedom? It is the nature of the game, the more you fear the more you target. You fear the most talented players so it is natural.’
City want to meet referee chiefs after a series of bad tackles against their stars but, on the treatment of Sanchez, Mourinho said: ‘Maybe his manager needs to cry a bit more.’