Alexis Sánchez's New Chapter in Montreal: A Late-Career Gamble
Alexis Sánchez has spent the last few years living out of a suitcase. Since that blockbuster move to Old Trafford in January 2018 went badly wrong, his career has been a tour of European stopovers rather than a settled stay at the top.
He played only 45 times for Manchester United before escaping to Inter, first on loan and then more permanently. A productive spell at Marseille, a return to Udinese, another short chapter back in Milan and a season in Spain with Sevilla have followed. Aside from that 18-goal burst in France, the numbers have rarely matched the name on the back of the shirt. At 37, the end product has dried up more often than not.
Now comes a different kind of gamble: Montreal, MLS, and the hope that Canadian cold can reignite an old flame.
Sagna’s verdict: “They could see why he is Alexis Sanchez”
Bacary Sagna knows the territory. The former France international, who finished his own career in MLS with Montreal in 2018 after spells at Manchester City and Benevento, believes the league is about to see a very familiar version of Alexis.
“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.”
That is the bet Montreal have made. That beneath the miles, the injuries, the short-term deals, the Arsenal version of Alexis is still in there somewhere, waiting for the right stage and the right mood.
Montreal, not Miami: the other North American dream
For many global stars, MLS still means the same three destinations: New York, Miami, Los Angeles. Sunshine, skyline, celebrity.
Sagna chose something else and has never hidden how much he valued it. He insists Alexis has landed in one of the league’s most underrated environments.
“The lifestyle is very good. I think the ecosystem is made for a great family life. It's an amazing country,” he said of his time in Canada. “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 veteran forward who has spent nearly a decade under harsh spotlights and harsher criticism, that kind of balance might matter as much as the football itself. A calmer life off the pitch, a passionate but less toxic atmosphere on it – the conditions are there for a late-career reset.
Two-year window, one last statement
Alexis signed a two-year deal with Montreal in August 2026. It is not a farewell tour contract. It is a window: enough time to settle, to adapt to the climate, to understand the league’s rhythm and, crucially, to prove he still belongs among the elite.
The template is already in front of him. He has just seen it up close.
His former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi, still relentless at 39, recently scored four of Inter Miami’s seven goals in a crushing win over Canadian opposition at Nu Stadium. That performance underlined what remains possible for ageing greats in MLS when the body holds and the mind is sharp.
Alexis arrives a step behind Messi in status and recent output, but with a similar challenge. One legend has already bent the league to his will. Now the question hangs over Montreal: can Sánchez, in the biting cold of Quebec rather than the heat of Florida, find one last surge and turn his nomadic final years into a defining North American chapter?
