Arsene Wenger insists Alexis Sanchez showed full commitment at Arsenal "until the last minute."
The Chilean completed his move to Manchester United on Monday with Henrikh Mkhitaryan heading in the opposite direction, as Sanchez finally got the exit from Arsenal he tried to secure in the summer.
At times this season Sanchez has cut a frustrated figure, and though his return has been far from disappointing - eight goals and four assists in 22 games across all competitions - he has struggled to replicate his outstanding displays of the 2016-17 campaign.
However, Wenger insisted Sanchez’s drop-off was not reflective of the 29-year-old having downed tools after missing out on a £60million summer transfer to Manchester City.
In Pictures | Alexis Sanchez joins Manchester United | 22/01/2018
"He’s a very professional player who has been committed until the last minute," Wenger told Arsenal Player.
"In training, he was practising with full power, so I never questioned that. I never had any doubts about that.
"He's a world-class player who has contributed well to us and was a star here.
"I would like to thank him for his contribution here and I wish him well.
"He’s very attached to Arsenal and we were very attached to him as well, so it is not with pleasure that we lose him but it’s part of professional life."
