It would be an understatement to simply say that Alexis Sanchez's move to Manchester United hasn't worked out.

In truth, it's been a disaster.

Sanchez's enormous £391,000-a-week wages - that rise to £500,000 with bonuses - upset the wage structure at United.

The only way that's sustainable is if Sanchez plays well, leading the team to glory, but it's been the literal opposite.

The Chilean has seen his reputation plummet since the move, scoring just five times for United since joining them in January 2018.

That's some way off the 30-goal player they saw in his final full season with Arsenal.

In short, they're not getting what they paid for and it may be time to look at other options.

AS Roma are reportedly offering one - they want to take the player on loan, according to the Telegraph and have begun negotiations with United.

It comes after reports that United had looked for clubs to potentially take the player for the right deal.

But there's a stumbling block: those wages.

Roma can't afford to cover a potential £500,000-a-week wage or anything really close to that - very, very few teams can - let alone for a player who's a gamble.

The only way they can take Sanchez off United's hands is if the parent club agree to continue covering a substantial part of the wage.

And so United are left to consider whether saving just a portion of the wage is worth not having Sanchez around.

They'd effectively go from paying a huge amount of money to a player who isn't performing to paying a still huge but not quite as huge amount to a player who isn't even around.

What's more valuable - having Sanchez as an option this season or the extra couple of million they'd save?

The fact that it's even a question shows the enormity of Sanchez's fall from grace in recent years.