CF Montreal are signing Alexis Sanchez, and the club has made little effort to hide it — their managing director Luca Saputo was caught on a teaser video saying "He wants Alexis, No. 10" on the jersey. At 37, Sanchez isn't a rumor or a trial. He's a Designated Player deal in the making.
The Chilean forward arrives from Sevilla, where he put up four goals and two assists across 28 appearances last season — modest numbers, but enough to show he can still contribute at a professional level. Montreal are getting a player in the final phase of his career, not a ghost of one.
What Sanchez actually brings
Strip away the highlights and the Barcelona years, and the CV still holds up. La Liga title with Barca in 2013. Two Serie A titles with Inter Milan, in 2021 and 2024. Stints at Arsenal and Manchester United — one memorable, one best forgotten. He knows winning environments.
And then there's the Chile record. 51 international goals. 168 caps. Both all-time national records. No Chilean player has been more used, or more productive, at international level. That's the player Montreal are banking their No. 10 jersey on.
As a Designated Player, he'll eat into Montreal's salary budget in a significant way — which puts pressure on the front office to build a squad around him that makes the investment pay off. DP signings that don't reach the playoffs look expensive fast. Montreal's odds to contend in the Eastern Conference suddenly carry a different weight depending on what roster surrounds him.
The MLS star wave keeps rolling
Sanchez joins a summer that already includes Robert Lewandowski at Chicago Fire, Antoine Griezmann at Orlando City, and Casemiro linking up with Messi at Inter Miami. MLS is no longer a retirement league in the pejorative sense — it's become the destination for players who still want to compete but are done with the European grind.
Whether Sanchez fits that description or is genuinely running on fumes, Montreal are about to find out. The No. 10 shirt is reserved. The deal isn't officially confirmed. But Saputo's phone call said everything.
