Alexis Sánchez: A New Chapter in Montreal

Alexis Sánchez has spent the last few years living out of a suitcase. Since that ill-fated move to Old Trafford in January 2018, his career has been a tour of Europe’s major leagues, with only fleeting reminders of the ruthless forward who once terrorised defences for Arsenal and Barcelona.

His Manchester United stint never caught fire: 45 appearances, little rhythm, even less joy. Inter came next, first on loan and then permanently, before a spell at Marseille briefly reignited the old spark with an 18-goal burst in France. A return to Udinese followed, then another short chapter back in Milan, and most recently a season in Spain with Sevilla in 2025-26. Aside from that purple patch in Ligue 1, end product has largely dried up for the 37-year-old.

Now the bet is simple: that the twilight of his career can burn brighter on Canadian soil.

Sagna’s cold warning, warm backing

Bacary Sagna knows exactly what awaits him in Montreal. The former France international, who closed out his own career there in MLS after spells with Manchester City and Benevento, believes Alexis has walked into the right place at the right time – once he gets over the shock of the weather.

“He will need to adapt to the cold first! Trust me, it's cold,” Sagna told GOAL, speaking on behalf of BetVictor Online Casino. “But Alexis Sanchez is a top player. I had some feedback already and people were impressed at his first session, they could see the difference of quality, they could see why he is Alexis Sanchez.

“I think it's very important for him to just enjoy football again and to show why he's been performing for Arsenal, why he's been in the top 20 best players in the world at some point. MLS will notice this soon because he's a top player and I'm pleased to see him playing for Montreal and hopefully he will have a great impact.”

Sagna’s words carry weight. He arrived in Montreal in 2018 and squeezed one-and-a-half seasons out of his legs in MLS, discovering a league on the rise and a city that quickly felt like home. He would happily see others follow the same route.

Montreal, not Miami – and why that matters

The MLS dream is usually painted in neon: New York, Miami, Los Angeles. The beach, the brands, the billboards. Montreal offers something different, and that contrast is exactly what Sagna believes can help a veteran like Alexis.

“The lifestyle is very good. I think the ecosystem is made for a great family life. It's an amazing country,” he said. “I lived there for three years. It's a well-balanced country, you have the seasons and people live well. I was in Montreal, beautiful city. It's a European aspect with U.S. infrastructure.

“Even winter, I mean I love the sun but I enjoyed winter there because I could go walking for two hours on the snow in the park with a hot chocolate and it grounded you. I think not many places are like that today in the world we live in today.

“It’s amongst the best places to live - Montreal was in the top five of the best places to live in the world at some point. It’s fun, the vibe is good, people are happy and it's a nice country. Also, people speak both languages, French and English, and you have a big Spanish community being in North America also.”

For a player who has been drifting from club to club, that kind of stability and balance might be as important as minutes on the pitch.

Two years to find the old Alexis

Alexis signed a two-year contract with Montreal in August 2026. This is not a farewell tour squeezed into six chaotic months. It’s a window, a proper stretch of time in which he can settle, adjust to the climate, the travel, the league – and then try to impose himself.

The template is already there, and he knows it better than most. His former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi has turned MLS into his personal playground, a 39-year-old phenomenon still deciding games at will for Inter Miami. Alexis has had a front-row seat to that level of dominance: Messi recently hit four of Miami’s seven goals in a crushing win over Canadian opposition at Nu Stadium, a brutal reminder of what an ageing superstar can still do when mind and body align.

Alexis will not be asked to be Messi. But Montreal will demand that he remembers who he used to be – the relentless runner, the risk-taker, the difference-maker in the final third.

The cold will bite. The travel will drain. The league will test him in ways he has not faced before. The question now is simple: in Montreal, with time on his side and a city built for a second act, can Alexis Sánchez light it up one more time?