I wanted to return to Arsenal - Ex-Gunner Alex Sanchez regretted joining Man Utd

Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez admitted he wanted to leave Manchester United and return to Arsenal just one day after joining the Red Devils.

The admission sheds new light on the dramatic career downturn that followed his high-profile transfer in 2018 to Old Trafford.

Sanchez, who enjoyed a prolific career at Arsenal, had scored 80 goals and 44 assists in 160 matches before making the switch to Old Trafford.

The move was part of a rare swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go to Arsenal. However, the former Barcelona star now says the transfer was a mistake from the very beginning.

Speaking in 2020, Sanchez recalled his initial positive feelings about the move, which quickly vanished during his first training session.

"I accepted the opportunity to go to United, it felt tempting, and it was something good for me," Sanchez said, describing his mindset at the time.

He added, "I liked this club a lot when I was a kid. Eventually, I signed, but I didn't ask for information on what was happening inside the club. Sometimes there are things that you don't realise until you get there, and I remember the first training session I had, I realised a lot of things.

"After the session I got home and I told my family and my agent, 'Can you not rip up the contract to go back to Arsenal?' They laughed. I told them there was something that didn't sit right, it didn't seem good. But I had already signed; I was already there. After the first few months, I carried on having the same feeling. We weren't united as a team in that moment."

Yet, that optimism was fleeting. He expressed a desire to tear up his contract and go back to his former club, revealing the immediate regret he felt.

The transfer came at a time when Sanchez's form was already in decline. He had scored seven goals in 19 league games for Arsenal during the first half of the 2017/18 season, a sharp drop from his 24-goal campaign the year prior.

The struggles continued at Manchester United, where Sanchez's performance plummeted further. He scored just three goals in 18 appearances across all competitions in his first six months with the club.