What’s the story?
Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez is attracting interest from Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain according to reports from The Mirror.
The Chilean international will have one year left on his contract after the end of the season and is yet to sign an extension. The Gunners are willing to offer him improved wages of £180,000-a-week in order to keep him at the club.
However, their failure to tie down their star player to a new deal has seen him being linked with a move away from the Emirates. Juventus and the Ligue 1 champions will test Arsenal’s resolve by making an approach for the former Barcelona star in the summer transfer window.
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Football has always been a priority for the 28-year-old, starting from his childhood days. He came up through the ranks of Cobreloa’s youth system, playing alongside current Chilean teammates Charles Aránguiz and Eduardo Vargas.
Sanchez impressed during his time with Cobreloa academy, which saw their then manager Nelscon Acosta handed him a chance in the first team in February 2005. A month later, he became one of the youngest players – at the age of 16 – to make a debut in the Copa Libertadores game against Once Caldas.
His performance for Cobreloa caught the attention of Udinese, who signed him in 2006. After spending five years with the Italian outfit, he moved to Barcelona. Before joining the Catalan club, however, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to bring the South American to Manchester United in 2011.
Sanchez’s time at Camp No, though came to a close after they signed Luis Suarez from Liverpool and the Reds were keen on securing his services. However, the Chilean snubbed advances from the Merseyside club in order to join Arsenal in 2014.
The heart of the matter
Sanchez is not the only player who has less than 18 months left on his contract. Mesut Ozil too has just over a year left on his current deal at Arsenal. And it looks like the agents of both players are working in tandem to get a better deal for their clients.
As the negotiations are getting delayed, Sanchez has been attracting interest from all nooks and corners. The Old Lady are keen on bringing the player back to the Serie A, but they will face competition from PSG.
What’s next?
Sanchez wants over £200,000-a-week in wages, a figure Arsenal are not currently willing to meet. This could leave them in a dilemma whether to cash in on the player in the summer or allow him to leave the club for nothing a year later.
Should Arsenal cash in on the player, they will have an uphill task in finding his replacement. Sanchez has been consistent with goals and also helping his teammates find the back of the net.
Also read: Former Barcelona director explains why Ibrahimovic and Messi did not get along
Sportskeeda’s take
Arsenal should make sure they sell Sanchez to a non-Premier League club in order to avoid a situation they had with Robin van Persie when he left the Emirates for United. Chelsea and Manchester City were also reported in signing him and should the two clubs join the race, it will be tough for the Gunners to sell their star forward to Juventus or PSG.
