Alexis Sanchez signs with CF Montreal after 18 years in Europe

Eighteen years after leaving Chile for Europe, Alexis Sanchez is switching continents again. This time the destination is North America: CF Montreal confirmed this week that it had signed the forward, who put his name to a contract running through the end of the 2027 season, with an option to extend it by one more year, through 2028.

The announcement puts an end to a saga that had kept Chilean fans on edge: would the "Niño Maravilla" keep competing in Europe, or would he make the jump that so many Latin American stars have made toward MLS in recent years? In the end the second option won out, and Montreal is already buzzing over the arrival of a player with stints at Udinese, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Marseille and Sevilla, not to mention his golden run with the Chilean national team, with which he won two Copa America titles.

One person who made no attempt to hide his excitement was French coach Philippe Eullaffroy, who will manage him at the Canadian club. In a press conference he ran through the Tocopilla native's career and admitted the news had caught him pleasantly off guard.

The first reaction was to say 'wow.' The first image that came to my head was seeing him play for Arsenal and then for Marseille. He was in France, where he had a spectacular season. It brings back very good memories for me. Of course, I also followed him at Udinese and at Sevilla last season.Philippe Eullaffroy

The coach is already thinking about how to fit him into the lineup. As he explained, Sanchez will reprise the role that made him famous in Europe's top leagues: a player who starts from the left and combines toward the middle, with the freedom to roam between the lines.

He's going to play in the position he's always played, coming in from the left toward the center. He can play as a number 10 or as a second striker, a false nine or a left winger. He's not a pure winger who runs to the byline, but he's played a lot there.Philippe Eullaffroy

The perspective of a Chilean who already knows MLS

Another voice weighing in on the signing was Pedro Morales, the former Chilean national team midfielder who played for the Vancouver Whitecaps between 2014 and 2016. Speaking to radio station ADN, he said Sanchez should expect treatment different from what he may have grown used to at some European clubs.

Morales looked back on his own experience in Canada and pointed to the level of recognition that international stars typically receive in the North American league. He also highlighted how much more competitive the league has become in recent years, with more high profile players arriving from Europe and Concacaf club competition growing tougher by the season.

For the former midfielder, Sanchez's decision not to return to play in Chile, choosing instead to keep competing in a demanding league, confirms something already known about him throughout his career: his habit of setting himself big challenges, even after the injuries that hampered him during his last stretch at Sevilla.

Now it remains to be seen how Sanchez adapts to the pace of MLS and whether he can be the same decisive player he was in Europe, in a league that is already greeting him with the label of the signing of the season.