1 July 2014: Bacary Sagna joins Manchester City on a free transfer, leaving Arsenal, declaring he wanted to compete for major honours
10 July 2014: Alexis Sanchez joins Arsenal from Barcelona for £31.7m
Back in 2014, Manchester City had just been crowned Champions of England. They made it a double (although not the real double) by also winning the League Cup.
2 league titles in 3 years, 4 trophies in 4 years, Sagna was leaving a side who had just ended its trophy duck with an FA Cup to join the most upwardly mobile team in England. His desire to finish his career with more trophies was justified.
Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez had left a trophy-laden Barcelona to join an Arsenal side who had just won their first trophy in 9 years. For Sanchez it was not about money (Sagna’s deal was reported to be £150k a week), nor about winning trophies whilst sitting on the bench, he wanted to win things.
Role on 3 years, Sagna has left Manchester City on a free transfer, and it seems Alexis Sanchez is set to join Manchester City from Arsenal.
He will put out the same lines as Bacary Sagna, and others, that they are moving to win trophies. And that they feel at Manchester City is the best place for that to happen.
The thing is, as Bacary Sagna has shown, Manchester City is not a top club where trophies flow easily.
In the 3 years at Manchester City, Bacary Sagna won just ONE LEAGUE CUP.

Had he stayed at Arsenal, he would have won another TWO FA Cups. That is what Sanchez has won in his 3 years at Arsenal.
Sagna left to win more trophies, but would have actually won more had he stayed, and that is the warning for Alexis Sanchez.
When Alexis left Barcelona, it was due to game time. If he leaves Arsenal for Manchester City, he will walk into the team.
But with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo & Leroy Sane, Sanchez does not have the security at Manchester City that he has at Arsenal.
A couple of bad games and he will be out.
This is what Bacary Sagna found when he joined Manchester City.
This is what Sagna found at Manchester City. He went from first team starter at Arsenal, to playing just 46% of league games in his 3 years at Manchester City.
There is a big warning in the Bacary Sagna story for Alexis Sanchez.
Joining Manchester City does not guarantee the trophies, he will find himself on the bench a few times throughout the season and he will not be the number 1 star at the Etihad.
I wonder if, bank balance increasing aside, Sagna looks back with regret for joining Mancherster City.
Then again, the bank balance is so important to footballers…
Have a good Sunday
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC

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