Arsenal star Alexis accused of tax evasion during Barcelona spell

The Chile forward is alleged to have evaded over €980,000 in image right taxes throughout 2012 and 2013, while under contract at the Liga giants

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is alleged to have evaded taxes worth over €980,000 during the years of 2012 and 2013.

Spanish newspaper El Periodico report that Alexis, the 27-year-old Chile international, faces criminal proceedings after failing to pay taxes for his image rights throughout 2012 and 2013, when he played for Barcelona.

Alexis is alleged to have transferred his image rights to a company named Numidia Trading, of which he owned 99 per cent, though he failed to declare his ownership.

El Periodico claim that Alexis originally transferred his image rights to another company named Inversiones Alsan, a society based in Chile of which he also holds a 99% stake.

Neither company is believed to have a true operational structure.

In 2011, Alexis signed a contract with Barcelona where he declared that he was the sole owner of his image rights. However, prosecutors allege that Numidia is a company that facilitates tax evasion, hence the filing of criminal proceedings.

Alexis is not the first player connected to Barcelona to be accused of such a crime, with Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Samuel Eto’o and Adriano also accused of similar indiscretions in recent years.