Pep Guardiola’s Man City has been heads-and-shoulders above his great rival Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United this season, with a fifteen-point gap separating them, but it appears the latter is still looking to cock a snook at the former.
Pep Guardiola’s Man City has been heads-and-shoulders above his great rival Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United this season, with a fifteen-point gap separating them, but it appears the latter is still looking to cock a snook at the former.
Manchester City looked set to sign want-away Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, but it looks like the Red Devils hopes to scupper City’s hopes of signing the Chile forward. Sanchez's deal with the Gunners expires at the end of this season.
The Guardian reported that Sanchez had agreed personal terms with Man City after the Citizens submitted a GBP 20 million offer, but Manchester United have now entered the race by upping the offer to the region of GBP 25 million.
Manchester United are also reportedly offering Sanchez more than the GBP 250,000 that City were offering him. Mourinho is confident of upstaging Guardiola, and it’s believed that United have even offered Arsenal the chance to sign Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Now, it will be up to the player whether he wants to don red or blue in the city of Manchester. It’s important to note that Sanchez has played for Guardiola before so it will be interesting to see which side he picks.
Wenger hopes Sanchez stays
Even though the Gunners boss left out his unsettled star for the League Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea.
Wenger opted to keep Sanchez on the bench until the last 25 minutes of Wednesday's 0-0 first leg draw at Stamford Bridge.
It was a bold gamble by Wenger given the League Cup represents one of the few chances for Arsenal to win silverware in another frustrating season.
Some Arsenal fans and pundits say Sanchez no longer gives 100 percent because his contract expires at the end of the season and he has so far refused to sign a new deal amid reports he is a divisive figure in the dressing room.
Although Premier League leaders Manchester City are keen to sign Sanchez after their move for the Chile forward fell through in August, Wenger claimed he is still completely focused on the Arsenal cause despite a series of lacklustre performances.
"The performance of Alexis Sanchez and the commitment does not depend on the duration of his contract, just depends on the fact when he's on the football pitch he wants to play," Wenger said.
"People don't know Alexis Sanchez. This is a guy completely focused on playing football.
"Did you see how he came on today? How he warmed up? Like a player who wants to play football. He can make a difference between what's going on outside and what's going on on the football pitch.
"He doesn't need to tell me he speaks to anybody else. He doesn't need to alert the club. He can do it on his own. We live with facts, not with psychological theories. When you come on to the pitch you play football and give 100 per cent.
That's what he does."
Remarkably, Wenger appears to believe Sanchez could still be persuaded to remain in north London.
"I want him to stay for longer," he added.
"I have no problem if he signs with us now or in June."
With inputs from agencies
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