£36m SANCHEZ BILL
United face huge loss in Inter move
MANCHESTER UNITED are facing a staggering £36million bill if Alexis Sanchez’s protracted loan move to Inter Milan is made permanent. Representatives of both clubs held further talks yesterday regarding the Chilean’s season-long loan, with Inter hopeful of having a deal concluded before the weekend, including an option to make the deal permanent for just under £15m next summer.
But Sportsmail understands Inter are planning to offer Sanchez a contract worth no more than £150,000 a week if they do make the deal permanent. Sanchez (below) will be 31 in December and Inter chiefs are reluctant to take on a huge burden to their wage bill given his age.
That leaves Sanchez facing a shortfall of £350,000 a week on his £500,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford — one he is almost certainly unwilling to take. United would then be contractually obliged to pay out the last two years of his contract — a total of £36m.
If Inter were to take up the option, the £ 15m transfer fee would ease the financial burden on United as they settle the remainder of Sanchez’s contract. As revealed by Sportsmail in May, United will pay a significant portion of Sanchez’s £26m salary to facilitate his exit this summer. But they could be hit with another hefty bill next summer if Inter sign Sanchez permanently.
Meanwhile, Ryan Giggs has called for United winger Daniel James to get more protection from referees and insisted the 21-year-old is not a cheat.
United and Wales youngster James, who moved to Old Trafford this summer, was booed by Wolves fans after being booked for diving as United drew 1-1 at Molineux on Monday.
‘With the speed he’s going at, it can look worse. He gets a lot of stick and referees need to protect him,’ said Giggs, who yesterday named James in his squad for next month’s Euro 2020 qualifier with Azerbaijan and friendly against Belarus.
REPRESENTATIVES of Twitter have confirmed they will meet Manchester United officials to discuss the racial abuse aimed at Paul Pogba on the platform. Pogba was targeted after missing a penalty against Wolves on Monday night.