Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Sánchez
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Alexis Sánchez

Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈleksis ˈsantʃes]; born 19 December 1988), also known mononymously as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a winger or a striker for La Liga club Sevilla and the Chile national team. He is regarded as one of best forwards of his generation and one of the greatest Chilean players of all time.

Dubbed "El Niño Maravilla" (The Wonder Child), Sánchez began his senior club career playing for Cobreloa, aged 15, and signed with Udinese in 2006, aged 18; he won consecutive league titles while on loan to Colo-Colo and River Plate. Sánchez was the subject of a record association football transfer when he signed for Barcelona in 2011 in a transfer worth €37.5 million, becoming the most expensive Chilean player of all time. There, Sánchez won six trophies, including a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey. He then joined Arsenal in 2014 in a transfer worth £31.7 million (€35 million), and won two FA Cups, the 2015 PFA Fans' Player of the Year, and was voted into the 2015 PFA Team of the Year. In 2018, he moved to league rivals Manchester United in a swap deal; he signed for Inter Milan a year later, and won a Serie A title and a Coppa Italia. In August 2022, he signed for Ligue 1 club Marseille. Having played only one season for the French side, Sánchez returned to Inter Milan in the summer of 2023.

Sánchez made his senior international debut for Chile in 2006 at age 18, and has since earned 168 caps, appearing in eight major tournaments and becoming both his country's most capped player and all-time top goalscorer. He led Chile to their first victory in a major tournament by winning the 2015 Copa América, scoring the winning penalty in the final; he captained the team to a repeat of this triumph at the Copa América Centenario (2016), winning the Golden Ball for Best Player.

Sánchez had a brief stint with a Universidad Católica Academy based in Rancagua in 1999, being coached by the Chilean former international footballer René Valenzuela. In addition to this, he represented the Escuela Bernardo O'Higgins team from Tocopilla in national championships.

Born in Tocopilla, Sánchez was a product of C.D. Cobreloa's prolific youth ranks where he was teammate of current Chile national team players such as Charles Aránguiz and Eduardo Vargas. In February 2005, Sánchez was promoted to the senior first team by manager Nelson Acosta.

Sánchez's made his debut against Deportes Temuco on 12 February and scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Deportes Concepción on 18 March. He played his first Copa Libertadores game against Once Caldas aged 16, which made him one of the youngest players on debut for the tournament.

After an impressive season with Cobreloa, Sánchez caught the attention of Serie A club Udinese, which signed him for a £1.7 million fee, on 21 April 2006. Udinese, however, began a maturation project with Sánchez and immediately loaned him to Chilean giants Colo-Colo in a season-long deal.

Sánchez debuted for Colo-Colo on 23 June 2006 in a 1–1 draw with Antofagasta; he scored his first goal on 29 October during the Chilean football derby against Universidad de Chile in a 4–2 win. His good performances allowed him to break into the starting lineup after successfully challenging veteran striker Mario Cáceres, and he then began partnering Humberto Suazo in the forward position. On 1 November, he scored a brace in a 4–4 league draw against Deportes La Serena. as well as his first continental goal in a 7–2 thrash over Alajuelense from Costa Rica for the Copa Sudamericana. Nevertheless, Colo-Colo was runner-up of that tournament after losing the final against Pachuca of Mexico. On 23 December 2006, Sánchez won his first professional title after being starter in the Torneo Clausura final against Audax Italiano which his team won 3–2.

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