Former Barcelona star linked with SENSATIONAL Camp Nou return
Cameron Smith
- 20 Aug 2023 07:40 CDT
- 4 min read
RC Lens' pursuit of Alexis Sanchez is over, but a return to Barcelona remains a possibility following the expiration of his contract at Marseille.
Sanchez, 34, signed a one-year deal at Marseille after leaving Inter Milan in 2022 and scored 18 goals in all competitions for the club last year, but was not offered a contract extension this summer.
As a result, the Chile international is now available as a free agent, which alerted Lens following the sale of Lois Openda to RB Leipzig earlier this summer.
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Lens were also linked with a move for Middlesbrough forward Chuba Akpom and had agreed a deal for the 27-year-old, but upon learning of talks with Ajax, they pulled out of the deal. Akpom has now joined Ajax after the Eredivisie side agreed a €12.3 million deal with Boro.
They soon turned their attention to signing Sanchez on a free transfer, according to Mohamed Toubache-Ter (via Get French Football News), but have pulled out of a deal in order to pursue Montpellier star Sepe Elye Wahi.
The France U21 star was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, but has snubbed interest from the west London club to join Lens, who will be playing Champions League football this year after finishing second in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 campaign.
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Sanchez back to Barcelona?
Following Lens’ pursuit of Wahi, Sanchez remains a free agent, but a move to Barcelona is a possibility, reports Toubache-Ter.
The former Arsenal man made 141 appearances for Barcelona during a three-year spell at the club before he joined the Gunners in 2014.
The Blaugrana have endured notable financial problems in recent years and have relied upon free transfer signings to bolster and improve their squad.
Sanchez could join Ilkay Gundogan, Inigo Martinez, Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso in signing for the club on a Bosman deal in the past two seasons.
