LONDON/MADRID: Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez has accepted a 16-month suspended jail sentence for tax fraud in return for avoiding a trial in Spain.

Chile’s former Barcelona and Arsenal player faced court action in Spain over unpaid taxes amounting to around €1m deriving from image rights deals in 2012 and 2013.

He is one of a number of high-profile players to have fallen foul of the tax authorities in Spain. Last month, Real Madrid’s Croatia midfielder Luka Modric paid Spanish fiscal authorities €1m to settle his own image rights tax case.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo have also faced tax charges in recent years.

When Sanchez, 29, was first accused in 2016, his agent said he had “fully obeyed” laws and his image rights income “has been declared”.

Sanchez, who joined United from Arsenal last month, is reportedly the highest paid player in the Premier League on £14m-a-year after tax.

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