Alexis Sánchez set for CF Montréal move after nearly 20 years in Europe

After nearly two decades treading European pitches, Alexis Sánchez is ready to switch continents. According to reports in the last few hours, the Chilean forward has practically everything in place to join Major League Soccer and pull on the shirt of CF Montréal. It's a closing chapter that, for many, seemed unthinkable just a couple of seasons ago, when the "Wonder Boy" was still fighting for minutes at Inter Milan.

The news didn't go unnoticed among those close to him. One of the first to weigh in was Claudio Bravo, Sánchez's longtime teammate on the Chilean national team and a historic goalkeeper for La Roja, who addressed the matter in an interview with ESPN. Bravo was direct, acknowledging that several other destinations fell through before MLS appeared on the striker's horizon.

It seems nobody accepted; there was talk of Brazil, a return to Universidad de Chile, Argentina, the Middle East. I think it's a good destination for him, since it's a league that's emerging strongly, where he might get the kind of starring role he hasn't had lately in his time at Inter or now at SevillaClaudio Bravo

Bravo's rundown makes sense when you look at Alexis's current situation. After leaving Inter, the Tocopilla native landed at Sevilla, a club where he never managed to lock down a starting spot and where injuries also took their toll. At 36, MLS looks like a different kind of stage: less constant physical demand, but also a league growing in level and media interest every season.

A new stage, away from European pressures

For Bravo, the change isn't just about soccer, it's also about quality of life. The former Manchester City and Barcelona goalkeeper was emphatic that at this point in his career, Alexis deserves to enjoy both what happens on the field and what comes after it.

It's a league where he's going to enjoy life. There comes a point where a player needs to enjoy the work side of things and also enjoy life. I think he's going to do incredibly well. We'll see where his career ends up, but I don't think it'll be here in ChileClaudio Bravo

That last comment leaves the door slightly open to uncertainty: will he ever play in Chilean soccer? Bravo rules it out, at least for now, though nobody can say for sure in a career as long as Sánchez's.

What is clear is that the Chilean national team remains a possible goal for La Roja's all-time leading scorer. Bravo made it plain that it will all depend on how he performs at his new club.

If he performs and does it well, obviously his name will be a calling card for the national teamClaudio Bravo

With this potential move to Montréal, Alexis Sánchez would close out an 18-year chapter in Europe, during which he played for clubs like Udinese, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter and Marseille, among others. MLS awaits him with open arms, and Bravo, who knows firsthand the demands of elite soccer, has already given his verdict: he believes it could be the ideal destination for the Chilean to shine again.