Manchester City are reported hu hily confident of landing Arsenal attacker Alexis Sanchez ahead of Bayern Munich in the summer
According to a report in Goal, Manchester City believe that they will sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in the summer transfer window, beating off competition from Bayern Munich in pursuit of the Chile attacker.
Sanchez was the undisputed talisman for the North London club this season, even as he played in an alien role as the central striker for most of the campaign. And even though 2016/17 turned out to be a disastrous campaign for the Gunners in the Premier League, Sanchez was the standout performer.
A return of 30 goals and 19 assists in just 51 appearances across all competitions suggests just how fruitful a season it was for the player. Therefore, it goes without saying that Sanchez is a crucial player for Arsenal ahead of what will be a busy summer of rebuilding for the club.
Manchester City believe they will beat Bayern to the signing of Alexis Sanchez following talks in London this weekend. [@Sammy_Goal]
— City Chief ️ (@City_Chief) May 30, 2017
However, as the months have rolled on through the campaign, it has looked likely that Sanchez will depart from the Emirates, as he has been embroiled in a contract standoff with the North Londoners for most of the season.
Reports have suggested that Arsenal willing to offer Sanchez a bumper new £270,000-a-week deal, but there has been little development over a renewal, with just 12 months remaining on his current contract.
Consequently, there has been intense speculation surrounding his future at Arsenal, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich reported to be the two front-runners.
At Bayern Munich, Carlo Ancelotti has Douglas Costa, Kingsley Coman, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben as his options for the positions on either flank. But Ribery and Robben are on the wrong side of 30 and are well into the twilight years of their glittering careers.
On top of that, Costa is being heavily linked with a summer exit from the Allianz Arena, thereby prompting the Bayern boss to delve into the transfer market for a top quality attacker, with Sanchez reportedly being top priority.
Meanwhile, City manager Pep Guardiola has a plethora of options in attack with the likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero and the newly-signed Bernardo Silva at his disposal. But, it goes without saying that a player of Sanchez’s calibre can add a lot of proven quality to his squad.
The Manchester City boss is, thus, eyeing the Chilean for a move in the summer transfer window. And as per the latest reports, the Citizens have taken the decisive lead in the race to sign Sanchez director of football Txiki Begiristain’s trip to London over the weekend to open talks over a summer move for the player.
Arsenal are unwilling to sell the Chilean to City but would prefer he moved to Bayern instead. However, the Manchester club are set to tempt Sanchez with a reunion with Pep Guardiola, which is a prospect that the player is enticed by.
The Gunners, meanwhile, remain determined that to keep hold of Sanchez by offering him an improved deal, but it remains to be seen where the players heads off to, should the North Londoners be resigned to letting go of their prized asset.
