Should Barcelona Seek Alexis Sanchez Return?

Various players are said to be leaving in the winter transfer window, and with Barcelona not finishing their purchases last summer, there’s a chance they could be active in the upcoming winter.

They could continue to rely on their fringe players stepping into the rotation, as well as incorporating more B teamers, not to mention the return of Ousmane Dembele from injury.

But if the Catalans are seeking a player for immediate impact to make a run into the Champions League final... why not Alexis Sanchez?

Sanchez left Barcelona for Arsenal with the arrival of Luis Suarez from Liverpool, but that was in the days Neymar still played home games at the Camp Nou. The 28-year-old is out of contract next summer and had been desperate to leave the Gunners, with Manchester City willing to pay for his transfer.

City are still favorites for his signature. According to The Telegraph, City will try to sign Sanchez in January for a cheap fee, hoping Arsenal agree to it rather than letting him go free next summer. That fee is said to be around 20 million pounds, which is an unbelievable bargain in this market.

But couldn’t Barcelona hijack the move? And wouldn’t Arsenal be more keen to sell him abroad than to a domestic rival?

The biggest question would be where Alexis would fit into the team. A spot in the starting XI is not assured, and he may be unlikely to join for that reason. Ernesto Valverde could play a 4-2-3-1, with Dembele, Alexis, and Lionel Messi in a band of three behind Suarez. Or he could drop Suarez outright, playing Messi through the middle and Alexis on the left wing, a spot that suits the Chilean but not the Uruguayan.

Both would be big calls and could prove quite tricky. With so many stars, there’s the chance that team harmony could be unsettled. There’s also the question of whether Barcelona should trust their own youngsters and not bring in a player that, while not old, is not that young either.