Manchester United are set to sign Arsenal's wantaway wonder Alexis Sanchez.

Jose Mourinho, who has been on the search for a quality forward for a little while now, saw off competition from rivals Manchester City for his signature.

Arsenal had softened their stance on not letting the Chilean leave in January, in fears he would walk away from the club on a free at the end of the season.

In return, the Gunners will land Henrikh Mkhitaryan after the Armenian agreed to the swap.

Jose Mourinho is looking to hi-jack Man City's move for Alexis Sanchez (
Image:
Man Utd via Getty Images)

Here is everything Mourinho has ever said about the Chilean, while in his role as Manchester United manager, ahead of signing Sanchez.

Ahead of Axel Tuanzebe's full debut against Sanchez

"I think Alexis knows his name because the kid played very well. What matters is to get on the pitch, to get the experience, to play against Alexis Sanchez, to play against Ozil, to play against Welbeck, to play against big players."

The Chilean could leave Arsenal this January (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

On Arsenal refusing to sell Sanchez to Manchester City

"A great, experienced manager, the same team. They didn't sell, as some were expecting, players like Mesut Ozil, Alexis. They're equipped."

On the Chilean's start to the 2017/18 campaign

"You have other players in the Premier League who are not starting matches and their managers just say they're not in the best conditions.

"We're speaking about some of the best players in the league. I heard last week the Chelsea manager saying that. The Arsenal manager said that. The players are not in their ideas, they're not in the best form after important injuries."

The Red Devils boss is willing to part with Henrikh Mkhitaryan to land Sanchez

On players running down their contracts

"That's football," Mourinho said of Ozil's contract situation. "That's football. And they finished their contracts, Fellaini finishes his contract. There are other important players in Europe in other teams that they finish their contracts.

"Sometimes players decide to go in this direction, which is the right that they have, they gamble, they gamble because you know, imagine one of these players has a big knee injury, if one of these players has one of these injuries, probably next season, he is without a club.

"Players have the right to do that and I don't blame the clubs because the clubs, they try.

Pep Guardiola previously signed the Chilean for Barcelona in 2011 (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

They try, they try, but the players have the right to go into this type of situation and in many times it is good for them, because they sometimes go on a free transfer and they can get huge salaries, other times the clubs to keep them they make an extra effort and they go with them also to very high salaries.

"And I repeat, I am not speaking about Alexis or Ozil [specifically], I am speaking about the general situation even as managers some of us, we prefer to let the contract go until the last year and in the last year we make the decision to stay, to leave, you know it's a risk for everyone, but sometimes, the risk works, and that's football."

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