Charlie Nicholas: 'Alexis Sanchez heading for Manchester United exit'

Former Arsenal forward Charlie Nicholas has said that Alexis Sanchez will leave Manchester United this summer.

The 30-year-old has only managed one Premier League goal this season and is now facing six to eight weeks on the sidelines with the knee injury that he picked up against Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand recently hinted that Sanchez's career at Old Trafford could be finished.

Nicholas shares the same opinion, with the pundit claiming that the Chile international has had "a shocker" since joining the 20-time English champions from Arsenal in January 2018.

"It's been a shocker. I watched Manchester United with interest at the weekend [against Southampton]. Marcus Rashford played out wide of the right and when Romelu Lukaku is fit, he looks sharp," Nicholas told Sky Sports News.

"It looks like he's trimmed a few pounds off him so the sharpness has returned so he's the one that scares me, and Rashford's pace. I think they're running down the clock with Sanchez. I think he'll be gone in the summer - that's the reality.

"They'll look at things and say 'what have you done? Not very much', and he gets injured a lot these days. You have to look at what United have got coming through and they've just given [Anthony] Martial a new deal so when he's fit, he'll be playing.

"Sanchez had the huff with Arsenal over a contract so what type of mood is he going to be in when he doesn't get a game? I don't think you hang about for that and I think Sanchez will be gone in the summer. They can sell him, get some money, get him off the wage bill and they can get somebody else in. It might even be a younger version."

Sanchez has only managed five goals in 41 appearances for United in all competitions.