Daily Mail

ALEXIS WILL GIVE HIS ALL

Wenger: Pep target won’t go easy on City

- By MATT BARLOW and CHRIS WHEELER

WHEN Alexis Sanchez rejected Arsenal’s contract offer and kicked back for a summer break, he dared to imagine a future at Manchester City.

But Sanchez will run out at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow still wearing a cannon on his chest and Arsene Wenger trusts him to give everything for the cause.

‘I expect him to be motivated but that is always the case,’ said Wenger. ‘I don’t see why it will be any different against Man City. One thing you cannot fault in Alexis Sanchez is his motivation.’ Sanchez was close to clinching a move to City on transfer deadline day in August, when Arsenal agreed to sell him for £60million, only to backtrack when they were unable to prise top target Thomas Lemar from Monaco.

‘Close or not, it does not matter,’ said Wenger. ‘It does not have any influence. The transfer window is closed — that’s not really an important subject.’

Pep Guardiola was reluctant to discuss Sanchez yesterday but confirmed he will continue to rebuild his squad.

‘Alexis, you know my opinion, but he’s an Arsenal player so it’s not correct to talk about that,’ said the City boss. ‘The strikers we have are going to stay next season, hopefully. Add another? Maybe. Next season we have to shake the team again.’

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