WENGER: WE CAN’T AFFORD A HUGE DEAL FOR SANCHEZ

DEFIANT Arsene Wenger is warning he will not make Alexis Sanchez a special case in the pay stakes.

The Arsenal boss is adamant he will not destablise his dressing room to meet the wage demands of the Chile superstar.

Sanchez (right), who only has a year left on his contract, has received offers of more than

£400,000 a week from China. Arsenal have now offered him around £300,000 a week, while Chelsea and Manchester City are also ready to poach the Gunners’ best player.

The former Barcelona star has scored 22 times in 41 appearances this season to earn a nomination for PFA Player of the Year.

But Wenger insisted the club will not be held to ransom. He said: “Some people tell me, ‘Just give him what he wants’. But then you cannot respect any more the wage structure and put the club in trouble as well.

“Always the club has to be the priority. I understand as well that top players are a big priority, but at the end of the day – even for important players – you can only pay as much as you can afford.” In addition to Sanchez, Mesut Ozil (below) also has only one year on his contract and will follow developments closely.

A Sanchez exit this summer – especially to a rival English club – would represent a body blow for the Gunners as they struggle to make it back into the Champions League for the first time in Wenger’s reign. The Frenchman believes Sanchez is unlikely to move to China, despite his representatives using the interest as leverage in negotiations. He added: “I think every club and every player has to make decisions.

“Where are your priorities, where do you want to play? I think the first priority for top players is to play with the best players and in the best league.

“I go to China to earn big money. But you make big money in England as well. So China for me is not a debate.”