Sanchez accepts suspended sentence

MADRID: Manchester United striker - cept a 16-month suspended jail sentence for tax fraud in return for avoiding a trial.

from Arsenal last month, faced being tried over the fraud of 983,000 euros ($ 1.21 million) linked to image rights dur Barcelona, according to details of the deal seen by Agence France- Presse.

Prosecutors said the 29- yearold Chilean forward had failed to declare any proceeds from the exploitation of his image rights in 2012 and 2013 and had also failed to declare that he was the owner of a company set up in Malta, Numidia Trading Limited, which owned the rights.

Appearing by video link from “made an incorrect tax payment” and that he had settled the issue with tax authorities.

He was sentenced to two eightmonth suspended jail sentences to run consecutively, although prosecutors have called for the sentence to be lifted after two years if he does not re-offend.

appearances for Barcelona before

He is rumoured to be the highest paid player in the Premier League following his move to United, reportedly earning around £500,000 ($710,000, 571,000 euros) a week before tax.

Lionel Messi was sentenced to a 21-month jail sentence that was million euros.

Last month, Real Madrid’s Croa one million euros to settle his own image rights tax case.

The former Barcelona and Liverpool player Javier Mascherano has accepted a one-year suspended jail sentence over a 1.5-million-euro tax fraud.

In potentially the largest case, investigating World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid for tax fraud amounting