Alexis Sanchez's New Chapter in Montreal: A Fresh Start in MLS

Alexis Sanchez has spent the last few years living out of a suitcase. Since that ill-fated move to Old Trafford in January 2018, his career has felt like a tour rather than a project: a brief, bruising spell at Manchester United, a loan to Inter that became permanent, a productive burst at Marseille, a return to Udinese, another run in Milan and, most recently, a season in Spain with Sevilla.

One purple patch in France aside – 18 goals that hinted at the old electricity – the end product has thinned out for the 37-year-old. The legs still move, the instincts remain, but the numbers have not kept pace with the name.

Now comes a different kind of challenge. Not another European giant or a romantic homecoming, but a new frontier: Montreal, MLS, and the Canadian cold.

Sagna’s seal of approval

Bacary Sagna knows exactly what awaits him there. The former France international, who swapped Manchester City and Benevento for Montreal in 2018, believes this is where Alexis can feel like a footballer again.

“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.”

Those who have followed Sanchez from Barcelona to Arsenal to Manchester United will recognise the description. Sharp touches. Relentless movement. That edge of aggression that once put him among the most feared forwards in Europe.

For Sagna, the mission in Montreal is simple: strip away the noise and let the football breathe again.

“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.”

Montreal, not Miami – and why that matters

When big names cross the Atlantic, the spotlight usually swings to the same places: the beaches of Miami, the skyline of New York, the glamour of Los Angeles. Montreal is different. Less billboard, more balance.

Sagna would recommend that difference to anyone.

“The lifestyle is very good. I think the ecosystem is made for a great family life. It's an amazing country,” he said. “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.”

This is not the hard sell of a tourist brochure. It is a player who has done the grind in England and Italy, then found something calmer in Quebec.

“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 Chilean star at the tail-end of his career, that blend matters. Language, culture, family life. A slower rhythm off the pitch, the chance to speed up again on it.

Time to find his feet – and his spark

Alexis signed a two-year deal with Montreal in August 2026. No short-term cameo, no farewell tour squeezed into a few months. Two full seasons to adjust to the league, to the travel, to the climate, and to a locker room that will look to him for leadership as much as goals.

MLS has seen this movie before. Lionel Messi walked into Inter Miami and turned a struggling side into a phenomenon, reminding everyone that class does not age at the same pace as the birth certificate. The bar, inevitably, is high.

Sanchez has already had a close look at that standard. The Argentine, still ruthless at 39, recently hit four of Inter Miami’s seven goals in a crushing win over Canadian opposition at Nu Stadium. A brutal, glowing reminder of what a true great can still do in this league when the mood and the environment are right.

Montreal are not asking Alexis to be Messi. They are asking him to be himself again – the Arsenal version, the one who pressed like a demon and finished like a star.

If the Canadian cold doesn’t bite too hard and the ball starts to bounce his way, MLS may find that one of football’s great wanderers has saved his most intriguing chapter for last.