Manchester City have reportedly pulled out of a deal to sign Arsenal superstar Alexis Sanchez, also a Manchester United target, in a sensational twist.
Manchester United will now have a clear run on Alexis Sanchez, as far as the report from Goal is to be believed. The report entails that Manchester City are miffed by the increasing demands of the Arsenal superstar and his agent, which has caused Pep Guardiola and his men to pull the plug on their pursuit of the Chilean.
Alexis Sanchez was tipped to be heading towards the blue half of Manchester. While no summer deal was agreed, the start of the January transfer window had an air of the Chilean’s impending exit looming over Emirates. In fact, there were reports that the Arsenal forward had already agreed personal terms with Manchester City.
Slowly, there arose the question of transfer fee, where Manchester City were prepared to pay just £20 million for the player, who has just six months left on his Arsenal deal. And while the Gunners looked set and almost helpless to accept the bid, Manchester United have swooped in with a bigger and better offer for both the club and the player.
Funny how there is a lot of negativity around Alexis Sánchez now that he’s linked with Manchester United. Didn’t read many complaints about his wages or age when on the verge of joining Man City.
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) January 14, 2018
Indeed, Manchester United have struggled recently to conjure up attacks that are trademark of every great Manchester United side. And with the injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku is the only option for Jose Mourinho in attack that can lead the line well.
Even if Mourinho does deploy Marcus Rashford upfront, there rises a hole on the wing for Mourinho, one whose rectification is even more imperative. Alexis Sanchez is not just a proven goalscorer but also an exciting customer when played on the wing, evidence being his stints at Barcelona and Arsenal.
According to reports, Manchester United are ready to make Alexis Sanchez Premier League’s highest paid player while also offering Arsenal a considerably higher amount compared to Manchester City. As Arsenal wait for City’s response, it seems the blue half has conceded defeat in the Chilean’s pursuit.
Alexis Sánchez in 2010:
“I want a big club, Inter or Manchester United.”
United? “I like English football because it’s fast, they never stop, like me. However, I have a contract with Udinese until 2015.”
Sounds like he’s listening to the little boy inside him after all. #mufc pic.twitter.com/VVnSWvk7op
— United Xtra (@utdxtra) January 14, 2018
From a neutral point of view, Manchester City’s reluctance to go higher in their bid and personal terms with the player does make sense.
City are not as strapped for options in attack as United are currently and while they have the financial prowess to match any offer, making Sanchez the highest paid player could unsettle the already present superstars like Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and others, who are all set to open contract talks with the club.
With the path now clear for Alexis Sanchez to sign for Manchester United, the fans would be hoping the Chilean has an effect similar to what Robin Van Persie had upon his arrival at Old Trafford. For now, Mourinho would hope to land another blow to his rival Guardiola by cutting the gap at the top to 12 points with a win over Stoke City on Monday.
