The Chilean departed the Emirates in January 2018 in an ill-fated swap deal between Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Paul Ince has stated that neither Alexis Sanchez nor Mesut Ozil has been the same since the Chilean left Arsenal for Manchester United in January 2018.
But Sanchez left the Emirates and moved to Old Trafford in a swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who joined the Gunners in a movement that didn’t work out for any party involved.
Sanchez moved to Inter on loan before the 2019-20 campaign, but injuries have limited his effectiveness and he appears likely to return to Old Trafford with his future up in the air.
Former United great Ince has stated that Sanchez and Ozil made each other better during their time at Arsenal, and both have suffered since the Chilean departed.
“It’s a strange one when you talk about Alexis Sanchez because, when you look back in his Arsenal days, you’re talking about one of the Premier League’s best attackers,” Ince told Paddy Power. “He was a terrific player there.
“We all know what happened next, but something that a lot of people overlook is Mesut Ozil — the reason Sanchez was so good at Arsenal was because he’d Ozil next to him.
“As a pair, they just needed this telepathy with one another, they instinctively knew each other, they understood the runs the other were likely to make without looking.
“Most good things that Alexis did at Arsenal were correlated with Ozil.
“And it works both ways, they made each other better, look at Ozil because Sanchez left, he’s not been the same player. Neither have.”
Ozil’s future has also been subject to plenty of debate, with the German only handling one goal and three assists in all competitions thus far from the 2019-20 season.
Former Gunners star Andrey Arshavin recently said he believes Ozil has no future at Arsenal, saying the midfielder “slows the game down” too frequently.
