Jose Mourinho has hailed the impact of January signing Alexis Sanchez also claiming Manchester United needed a player of his level.
Alexis helped fire the Red Devils into the FA Cup final as he cancelled out Dele Alli’s opener to knock Tottenham Hotspur out of the competition.
Despite coming under criticism for his performances, the Chilean has been directly involved in eight goals in 14 appearances since his arrival from Arsenal.
Alexis’ impact
Alexis Sanchez during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Huddersfield Town at Old Trafford on February 3, 2018 in Manchester, England.
The Portuguese manager has admitted that United fought to bring Sanchez to Old Trafford back in January with the club desperate to bring in a player of his quality.
Although he is yet to reach his best levels at United, Mourinho has praised the impact of the 28-year-old, also stating that he is set to be even better next season.
Mourinho said:
“We fought to have him here and I was, since day one, sure that he was the right player.
“Not just by the typical football qualities, but also by his mentality, and we needed that.
“We needed a little bit more experience, we needed a little bit more of mental aggressiveness, and I knew that sooner or later, we’re coming (improving as a team).
“I keep saying, I don’t like the January market, but was now or never, so it was now and obviously if we can have Alexis until the end of the season, better for us.
“We need seven points and we have a final to play… can he help us the way he’s helping us lately? I hope so and I feel so, but what I am sure of is that next season, after pre-season, after being comfortable and adapted, he’s going to be great for us.
“He was playing in our competition for years. We all know how good he was, that’s why he was chased by many teams. I believe that’s why we fought to have him here.”
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