Manchester City are confident of signing Alexis Sánchez, with the club confident a deal can be reached for £50m. While Arsenal are reluctant to sell to Manchester City, the club and Arsene Wenger are aware of Alexis’ desire to join Manchester City. Alexis, of course, is out of contract in a year, meaning if Arsenal keep him, Alexis will leave for nothing. Arsenal have offered a contract in the region of £250,000 per week, while Manchester City are offering closer to Alexis’ desired £300,000 per week.
Arsenal would rather sell Alexis to either PSG or Bayern Munich, but both clubs have been put off by Alexis’ wage demands, what Arsenal are offering, and the combination of the transfer fee, wages and Alexis’ age. Alexis is only 28, but other clubs are mindful that he has played in an international tournament every year since 2014.
Arsenal could yet hold Alexis to the final year of his contract. City’s confidence comes from Alexis’ desire to leave Arsenal for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, not from Arsenal’s desire to sell. If Arsenal bet that one year of Alexis is better than £50m from Manchester City, they could keep him and avoid the disastrous optics of once again selling players to rival clubs.