Alexis Sanchez claims he ‘would have won the Champions League’ for Man City if he had joined Guardiola’s side

Alexis Sanchez has claimed Manchester City would have won the Champions League by now if he had joined them instead of Manchester United.

The Chilean played under the City manager at Barcelona and described the Spaniard as being like his ‘dad’. The duo won several major honours at the Nou Camp before Sanchez joined Arsenal for £30 million back in 2014.

Under Arsene Wenger, the 34-year-old went on to prove himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the history of the Premier League netting 80 times across 166 league appearances for the Gunners, before moving to Old Trafford for an ill-fated spell in 2018.

City had approached Arsenal to buy Sanchez, bidding around £70m for the forward. In an eye-opening interview with Santiago-based daily newspaper La Tercera, he claimed he ‘would have won the Champions League’ with Guardiola’s side and revealed he ultimately snubbed them after receiving a phone call from Mourinho.

‘I was about to go to City. I spoke to Guardiola every day, he told me happy birthday. He was like my dad. He was my dad at Barcelona and he was like my dad at City, ” Sanchez told TVN as reported by La Tercera and Sport Witness.

“We talked, we talked every day, he sent me messages. And everything was ready, there was a player who was going to go to Arsenal. Then Wenger tells me you are not leaving because the other player did not want to come and they do not have another.

“Suddenly the cell phone rings. Mourinho tells me: ‘Alexis, here is the seven available for you.’

“It wasn’t a money thing, so everyone knows. It was the same with United and City. And he said to me here is the seven, we are playing in the Champions League and we are going to give everything. I wanted to leave at that moment, but I had Guardiola’s word.

“That’s when I said to myself, Chilean footballer playing for Manchester United, something that has never happened. With the seven of Cantona, Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and now a Chilean had it, it was a dream.

“I don’t regret going to United, things happen for a reason. I would have liked to have gone to City, yes. We would have won the Champions League by now. In the [2021 Champions League] final I would have done something.”

After leaving United, Sanchez spent two further seasons with Milan before joining French club Marseille at the start of the current campaign.

He has proved to be a successful signing for Marseille, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions to help the club challenge for the Ligue 1 title.

They are currently seven points behind bitter rivals PSG, with 10 games remaining in the Ligue 1 season.