Manchester City are increasingly confident of signing Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal this summer despite firm interest from a number of domestic rivals, Goal understands.
It is believed City boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester United's Jose Mourinho have both made contact with Alexis personally in recent weeks in a bid to convince him that he should join their respective clubs.
United are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer, with Wayne Rooney set to leave Old Trafford and Mourinho still unconvinced about Anthony Martial's temperament.
Chelsea are also extremely keen to sign Alexis, while Paris Saint-Germain have been in regular contact about a move to France over the last few months.
But multiple sources close to the Chilean believe he has already made up his mind and wants to move to the Etihad Stadium.
There is a will at City to make that happen, with Guardiola identifying the player he coached at Barcelona as a priority summer signing.
Guardiola will oversee a significant overhaul of his squad this summer, and while most of City's funds will go towards an almost entirely new defence, Alexis remains a major part of the club's plans.
One significant stumbling block will be Arsenal’s strong desire to sell their talisman abroad.
Alexis, however, would prefer to stay in English football, specifically with City. He has already decided to leave the Emirates Stadium and with his contract expiring next summer the Gunners would risk alienating the player and losing him on a free transfer in 2018 if they block a move this time around.
The 28-year-old put Chelsea fans on alert last month when he said he likes to be “in a city, in a club with a winning mentality,” and indeed he only recently purchased a house in London.
But City are confident that they have stolen a march on their rivals and have put together a wage packet worth around £200,000 per week.
PSG have been in discussions with the Chilean for months, having prioritised his signature ahead of City's Sergio Aguero.
No comments:
Post a Comment