Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on Arsenal superstar Alexis Sanchez with a view to making a move for the forward in the summer
The Daily Mirror have reported that Chelsea are currently monitoring the situation of Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal, with his position at the club currently mired in uncertainty. They are bracing themselves to register an interest in the Chile international should he continue his contract standoff with the Gunners.
Alexis Sanchez has been one of the most instrumental players for Arsene Wenger ever since he joined Arsenal from Barcelona in 2014 in a £31.7 million move. The move to the Emirates Stadium has been productive to say the least, with Sanchez being a mainstay in attack as a fundamental part of the Arsenal boss’ plans.
The Chilean has been one of the most consistent performers at Arsenal over the last three seasons, with his deadly eye for goal making him a menace for opposition defences. And the current campaign has only seen Sanchez take his career to the next level, having been entrusted with a new role by Wenger.
He has been deployed as the focal point of the Arsenal attack, and he has been exceptional in that role to say the least. The change in position has also resulted in a significant improvement in numbers, with Sanchez scoring 17 goals in 25 appearances in the Premier League to be the joint top scorer in English top flight.
However, despite his superlative performances for Arsenal it has looked increasingly likely that Sanchez could be on his way out of the Emirates in the summer. That is because he is currently embroiled in a contract standoff with the North London club with little progress towards agreeing new terms.
Sanchez has admitted to being content at Arsenal, but several reports have stated that he is looking for a significant pay hike in order to remain in London and sign on the dotted line. With growing uncertainty about his future at Arsenal, clubs have been circling around Sanchez to land him in the summer.
The most prominent of these include Juventus, PSG and Atletico Madrid, with Inter Milan being the latest club to enter the mix, offering a swap deal for star forward Ivan Perisic in exchange for Sanchez in the summer.
Now Chelsea look likely to enter the race to sign Sanchez, with the West London club monitoring his situation at their capital rivals. And with fresh reports claiming that summer signing Michy Batshuayi could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge, they are likely to enter the market for a forward come June.
It goes without saying that Sanchez is a player who will bring a lot of value to the Chelsea attack, with the potential triumvirate of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Sanchez having the potential to be one of the deadliest in England, if not the world.
However, Arsenal are likely to be unwilling to sell their prized asset anytime soon, let alone a club that is their direct rival in the Premier League. Needless to say, they would be sweating over a renewal, with less than 18 months left on his current deal. It now remains to be seen how things pan out in the months to come.
