Alexis Sanchez

Born in Tocopilla, Chile, on the 19th December 1988, Alexis Sanchez has gone on to become one of the leading wingers in the world. He came through the youth ranks at Chilean top-flight club Cobreloa before moving to Udinese at the age of 18 in a £2.64million move.

Sanchez spent his first two years at Udinese out on loan. For the 2006-2007 season he returned to Chile to join Colo-Colo on loan. He made 48 appearances and scored nine goals. He then spent the 2007-2008 season on loan with Buenos Aries giants River Plate, playing 31 times and scoring four goals.

After two successful loan stints, the Udinese management decided the Chilean was ready for Serie A. On the 14th September 2008 he made his debut against Juventus, in what was a 1-0 loss. His debut season saw him play 43 times, during which time he scored three and created three as he helped Udinese finish seventh. The 2009-2010 season was disappointing for Udinese. They finished a lowly 15th in the league, and Sanchez managed five goals in 32 appearances. It was during the 2010-2011 season that Sanchez really announced himself as a genuine prospect, helping his side finish in fourth place, with 12 goals and 10 assists in just 31 games.

On July 20th 2011, Sanchez became the first Chilean to play for Barcelona after the club agreed a €26million fee for the winger. His first season with the Catalan giants was marred by minor injury problems which reduced his league appearance tally to just 25. However, his goal return was an impressive 12, and he also weighed in with six assists. Despite his impressive form, Barcelona finished nine points behind Real Madrid in the league, although they did win the Copa del Rey. 

Following their slight blip, Barcelona made a storm de force return for the 2012-2013 season, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and reclaiming the La Liga title with 100 points, 15 more points than second place Madrid. That season also saw Sanchez establish himself in the starting XI. He made 46 appearances in total, scoring 11 goals and creating 13 goals for his teammates.

Sanchez made his debut for Chile against New Zealand on the 27th April 2006 and has since gone on to become the creative outlet for the national side. The winger proved pivotal in helping Chile reach the 2010 World Cup, while his eight international goals in 11 appearances in 2013 were instrumental in helping Chile qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
 
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