Sanchez has attracted plenty of criticism over his performances since joining as United’s top earner and fans have been quick to scrutinise one particular ritual he likes to perform.
The Chilean star has a habit of rolling up his shorts during training sessions and games – but why does he do it?
Express Sport reveals several possible reasons why Sanchez rolls up his shorts while playing and training for Manchester United.
Comfort
Much of Sanchez’s game involves weaving in and out of tight spaces.
Rolling up his shorts would result in less material to interfere with his dribbling.
Sanchez may think his has greater mobility when rolling up the shorts.
Whether his game really is enhanced by his quirk remains anyone’s guess.
Alexis Sanchez: Why does Alexis Sanchez roll his shorts up? (Image: Getty Images)
Alexis Sanchez: He was spotted on United's warm weather training camp (Image: Getty Images)
Superstition
Often footballers simply don’t have a motive for their pre-game, mid-game and post-game actions.
John Terry used the same pair of shin pads for a decade while Tomas Rosicky never sang the Czech Republic national anthem as his youth team always lost when he did.
The late great Johan Cruyff would slap Ajax goalkeeper Gert Bals in the stomach before every match and Petr Cech didn’t shave during Euro 2012.
Plenty of footballers have their rituals, habits and superstitions – Sanchez’s could be a simple case of hitching up his shorts.
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Alexis Sanchez: He hasn't commented on why he rolls up the shorts (Image: Getty Images)
Alexis Sanchez: The Chilean used to do it at Arsenal too (Image: Getty Images)
Iconic moments
We’ve all seen it from Cristiano Ronaldo. A last-minute penalty, a close-range free-kick, a last-gasp corner.
The Portuguese star frequently stands proudly behind the ball, shorts rolled up high, arms spread to the side as he draws deep, long breaths.
No matter what happened next, you will always remember the iconic Ronaldo pose.
Being a set-piece taker, Sanchez could be trying to channel his inner Ronaldo and ramp up the drama for millions of fans around the world.
Alexis Sanchez works on his injury recovery with trainer
Alexis Sanchez: Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be the trend-setter (Image: Getty Images)
Venting heat
Very simply, the higher the shorts, the cooler the legs.
Sanchez is used to warmer climates when plying his trade with his previous clubs including Barcelona, Udinese, River Plate and growing up in Chile.
However, this may not be the best reasoning given Manchester’s less than tropical climate at this time of year.