City pulling out all the stops to snag Sanchez

LONDON: Manchester City are drawing up an eye-watering deal worth £400,000 (RM2.2mil) a week for Alexis Sanchez (pic).

Etihad chiefs have put meticulous plans in place for the Arsenal star’s arrival this month.

The £21mil-a-year (RM116mil) contract would make Sanchez, 28, the English Premier League’s highest-paid player on a weekly basic of £325,000 (RM1.8mil) plus £75,000 (RM414,000) image rights.

That dwarves the £280,000 (RM1.5mil) a week Paul Pogba earns at neighbours Manchester United.

Boss Pep Guardiola is preparing a £50mil (RM276mil) bid for the Chilean striker before the transfer window shuts on Aug 31.

City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain has been charged with making sure Sanchez is signed and will leave no stone unturned to make the South American star feels at home the moment he arrives.

City will offer him a choice of exclusive rented accommodation in the city and on the outskirts – all paid for by the club.

Sanchez – who is in the final year of his Arsenal contract and refusing to discuss a new deal – will also be given advice on where and what to buy if he decides to purchase a property.

Guardiola is desperate to sign the striker he bought to Barcelona from Udinese for £25mil (RM138mil) back in 2011.

They had just one season together before Guardiola quit to manage Bayern Munich.

City have already spent £223mil (RM1.2bil) this summer and could wait a year to get Sanchez for free.

But, after failing to win a trophy in his first season in charge, Guardiola is determined to land the Premier League title and the Champions League.

And he believes Sanchez, who has scored 72 goals in 144 appearances since the Gunners signed him for £31.7mil (RM175mil) three years ago, can be the key to his success. — The Sun, London