Arsenal will reportedly receive a late approach from Manchester City to pursue the services of contract rebel Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean did not take part in the opening day 4-3 win over Leicester City with an abdominal strain and he is a doubt for the trip to Stoke City this weekend.
According to The Telegraph, Manchester City will finally lodge a transfer attempt for the 28-year-old attacker with Pep Guardiola keen on bolstering his forward department further.
The Citizens are prepared to pay a club-record fee of £60m to test the Gunners’ resolve while they are willing to make him the Premier League’s highest-paid player at £400,000-a-week including bonuses and image rights.
Sanchez was recently spotted to have travelled to Paris with his girlfriend and his representative, but The Telegraph insists that Paris Saint-Germain are no longer in the race following the world-record £198m signing of Neymar.
The Chilean has entered the last 12 months of his Gunners deal, but Arsene Wenger has constantly stressed that the attacker will honour his contract as a decision has been made to not sell him.
However, such instances have happened with the likes of Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, who left just weeks after Wenger’s assurance over their stay.
Arsenal have signed just two players in Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette this summer, and it appears that they may not be any more incomings with the focus on trimming down the first-team squad.
Kieran Gibbs, Lucas Perez, Calum Chambers, Carl Jenkinson and Mathieu Debuchy have among the fringe players whose exits have been held up by either transfer fees or reluctance to take a pay-cut.
