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Arsene Wenger adamant Arsenal won't sell Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City

The 28-year-old is yet to commit his future to Arsenal despite being offered lucrative terms of upwards of £275,000 per week

Tuesday 11 July 2017 09:08 BST
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Arsene Wenger insists Alexis Sanchez will not be sold this summer
Arsene Wenger insists Alexis Sanchez will not be sold this summer (Getty)

Arsene Wenger is adamant his stance that Alexis Sanchez will not be sold to Manchester City.

The 28-year-old is yet to commit his future to Arsenal despite being offered lucrative terms of upwards of £275,000 and with only a year remaining on his current contract the club run the risk of losing him for nothing next summer.

Pep Guardiola sees the Chilean star as the last piece of his attacking puzzle at the Etihad with the player himself understood to have his heart set on a reunion with his former manager at Barcelona.

But Wenger, speaking is resolute that he would not be prepared to sell to a rival Premier League club whatever the price.

"That's in the continuity of what I said at the end of the season; that's what we will do," he added.

Wenger is still of the belief that Sanchez - who last month said he knew where he would be playing next season but stopped short of announcing his plans - could still extend his stay in north London.

"The players come back and we expect them to respect their contracts," he said.

Asked whether Sanchez had told him he wanted to leave, the Frenchman added: "No. Nobody knows today if Sanchez will be in the final year of his contract next season, because he can as well extend his contract with us at the start of the season or during the season, so it's not necessarily the last year of his contract with Arsenal."

Given that Arsenal are far less enthusiastic about Sanchez staying in England than going to Bayern, it would effectively take the kind of mega-offer - potentially above £90m - from City to change the French coach’s mind and actually make the deal happen.

Wenger is well aware of the prospective symbolism surrounding such a move as much as anything else, though, and is currently prepared to reject all offers.

Some close to the Chilean’s have started to talk about the idea of preparing for another season at the Emirates, and running out his contract.

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