Alexis Sanchez finally joins Inter Milan on season-long loan from Man Utd

ALEXIS SANCHEZ has finally completed his move to Inter Milan on loan until the end of the season.

Manchester United and Inter confirmed the news on social media - with United still having to pay more than half of his £505,000-a-week wages.

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United wrote: "We can confirm that Alexis Sanchez joins Inter Milan on loan until 30 June 2020. We wish @Alexis_Sanchez the best of luck in Italy."

Inter, meanwhile, released a statement detailing Sanchez's career path from his humble beginnings in Tocopilla to his move to the San Siro.

The Serie A giants wrote: "Throughout Alexis Sanchez's life, football has always represented everything, and he has always been happiest with a ball between his feet.

"From now on he’ll have a chance to do this in Nerazzurri colours. So, on behalf of the entire Nerazzurri family, we’d like to wish him a very warm welcome and the best of luck. #WelcomeAlexis"

Earlier, the forward wished his Manchester United team-mates luck for the season and shared photos posing with the Red Devils squad.

Sanchez, 30, was forced out of Old Trafford after new manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer decided he did not figure in his long-term plans for the club.

Solskjaer decided after 18 months of injuries and poor form, scoring just three goals in 32 league games, the former Arsenal man was not good enough to stay.

Instead the United boss has opted to go with youth, preferring Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to be the main striking options this season.

And in reserve, he decided the potential of teenagers Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes was preferable to a sulking and unfit Sanchez.

It represents an amazing fall from grace from a player who snubbed the chance to join Manchester City in favour of moving to Old Trafford in 2018

On £505,000-per-week wages, he shattered the pay structure in place at the club, which has caused problems with other senior members of the squad who were unhappy at how much the Chilean was earning.

In terms of value for money, Sanchez has been nothing short of a disaster for the club - costing £1.2million per appearance at a rate of £11m per goal.

United had been desperate to get Sanchez out of the club all summer, but found it hard to find clubs interested.

At the root of the problem was the huge wage package, with the club knowing they could not demand a fee for the former Arsenal star and expect the buying club to pay his salary.

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So while they were able to easily offload Romelu Lukaku for a decent fee of £74m to Inter, they were in a far more difficult position with Sanchez.

It meant a season-long loan was the only realistic option available to the club, and even then they knew they could have to contribute towards his wages.

In the event, Inter came forward as the only genuine bidders - allowing the Italian club to be in a strong bargaining position when it came to the financial package being agreed.

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