Lukaku, Smalling & Sanchez How are things going in Serie A?
by Martin Calleja Urry
W
hile various ex‑Premier League stars continue to shine in Serie A, others have failed to live up to expectations. Since losing the trio of Lukaku, Smalling and Sanchez, United have had mixed results, unlike Lukaku and Smalling, who have blossomed in Italy with Inter and Roma, respectively. Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez’s career seems to be cascading even further south, as the once talismanic Chilean has hardly kicked off life at the San Siro with a bang. Having only played 6 games so far, all as a substitute, he has so far managed one goal in a game he also got sent off in. To make matters worse, he also suffered a tendon injury which saw him sidelined for 3 months. That’s not to say that his days as a footballer are completely over, but he may have to take a step‑down in the future if he wants to regain the confidence and form that once made him one of the hottest prospects in world football.
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The ex‑Barcelona and Arsenal star has definitely seen better days, but overall, both United and Sanchez are better off having parted ways. His massive wage bill, a percentage of which United are still paying for while he’s at Inter, put an unnecessary financial strain on the club and also upset the wage balance. As fans of football, we can only hope that Sanchez regains his form of old and continues to terrorize defenses worldwide, but Inter fans are hardly waiting at the edge of their seat, as the club continues to strengthen with other ex‑Premier League stars like Eriksen. With Lukaku having formed a solid strike partnership with Lautaro Martinez, the duo have scored over 25 goals between them, with 14 coming courtesy of the Belgian. Back in England, Rashford has been in red‑hot form and Greenwood and Martial have also bagged their fair share of goals, but the loss of a consistent goal getter like Romelu has still dealt us a significant blow. Tall, bulky, clumsy and often with a misplaced first touch, Lukaku would often become the main target of fans’ criticism, but despite the intermittent hate, still delivered consistent numbers. The failure to sign another marquee striker, or even a backup for Rashford, was what really made Lukaku’s loss hurt.
