One of the stranger narratives to emerge from the Alexis Sanchez transfer saga has been the assertion from some journalists that the player prefers a move to Manchester United because of the money.

It’s as if City weren’t going to offer him a fantastic salary, that City didn’t pay more in agent fees than any other club last season, and as if it isn’t the most successful club in England that he is reportedly planning to sign for.

Fine, if he was going to China, you could say his decision was motivated by money. But United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and are managed by one of the best in the game. Jose Mourinho has won two Champions League titles with two different clubs, neither of whom were the best in Europe when they lifted the trophy, and will have his eye on doing the same at United.

Still, however much United offer Sanchez, surely that is their right? When you consider how much money United generates, why shouldn’t they spend that on the salary of a player who improves the squad?

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United have the lowest wages in relation to turnover of every club in the league. But don’t expect too many journalists to include that in their write ups.

Graph from SwissRamble.