Manchester City to offer £35m for Alexis Sanchez
Manchester City are exploring the possibility of signing Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in the January transfer window after losing Gabriel Jesus for two months.
Sanchez is set to move to the Etihad as a free agent in the summer when his contract runs out despite interest from Paris SaintGermain.
However, Jesus’s knee ligament injury has left City with just one fit striker in Sergio Aguero as they try to compete for four trophies in the second half of the season.
It’s understood that Arsenal would consider offers of £35million for Sanchez having turned down a £60m bid from City in the summer.
City have been unwilling to meet that demand for a player who will cost nothing in six months’ time but may try to reach a compromise.
Asked if they will be forced into the transfer market this month after Jesus and captain Vincent Kompany were sidelined, manager Pep Guardiola said: “We spoke about it before the injuries to Gabriel and Vincent, but it’s so difficult. I don’t know if it will be possible.
“We are working now for this month but also for the future. Whatever happens, I will work with the players I have. The toughest period to buy players is now because everyone wants to keep the players so it’s not easy.
“We need Gabriel, we need Sergio, we need both. But now, in this moment, we’ll have maybe two months without Gabriel. Two months is a lot of games, so we just have one.
“So hopefully we can handle it until the end because, of course, we need the striker’s goals.”
City simply cannot afford to lose Aguero now and Guardiola will try to give the Argentine a break where possible to protect him from the extra workload.