Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said Alexis Sanchez will return to Old Trafford next season and prove his critics wrong.
Sources told ESPN on Monday that the club are ready to offer Sanchez the chance to revive his United career when he returns from a season-long loan at Inter Milan in the summer, with the Chile international having seen just 214 minutes of action for the Italian club so far this season -- scoring once in five appearances in Serie A amid his struggles with injury.
Sanchez suffered a disastrous spell at United following his move from Arsenal in January 2018 before being loaned to Inter in the summer, but despite his lack of game time and form, the Norwegian has backed Sanchez to return to his best and compete for a spot in his team next season.
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"We've got players here we're working hard to get back as well and if there is something out there the club is pursuing that," Solskjaer said, reflecting on the club's struggles to bring in new recruits this month. "It's difficult. I can't remember how many good ones we've brought in and good deals in January.
"Henrik [Larsson] was good, Nemanja [Vidic] and Patrice [Evra]. It's hard, very hard. The clubs don't want to lose their best players and Alexis [Sanchez] will come back in the summer and will prove you all wrong."
United head across the city to face Manchester City in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. They trail 3-1 from the first leg and face an uphill task to progress to next month's Wembley final, but Solskjaer is keen for his side to channel the performance United gave in last season's Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain to get the better of their bitter rivals.
"It has to be a perfect performance to win with two goals against such a good team away from home," Solskjaer said. "For us it's not about away goals, we just need to score two more than them.
"When it happens, how it happens, it would be good not to concede first, because that makes it less difficult.
"We can't just defend, we have to try keep the ball and make them run after the ball, perfect performance it has to be but, we've done amazing things before at this club and the PSG game is for me is a very, very good example of how you can make a two goal deficit work in your favour. We need the first goal."
Solskjaer was also dismissive of questions around the club's pursuit of Bruno Fernandes, adding: "I haven't got any updates for you on transfers, I think it was a waste [of a question], I gave you the option. I haven't got anything to say now, my mind is on the game."
Fernandes started for Sporting on Monday in their 1-0 win over Maritimo with Sporting and United at a stalemate over a fee for the Portugal international.