Pep coy on new swoop for Lex

PEP GUARDIOLA does not yet know if Manchester City will revive their attempts to sign Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez.

City had a £55million deadline-day bid for the Chilean accepted last week but the move collapsed because the Gunners could not secure a replacement.

With Sanchez out of contract next summer it is thought City could move for the player again in January but Guardiola was non-committal.

Speaking ahead of today’s Premier League clash with Liverpool, Guardiola said: “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the wintertime or next season. He’s an Arsenal player.

“Of course we were interested in him (but) at the end Arsenal decided not to sell him. So, all the best for Alexis.

“I know him from Barcelona. And that’s all. Sometimes the deals work, sometimes not.”

There were rumours that Arsenal were interested in taking City forward Raheem Sterling in part-exchange for Sanchez but Guardiola insists that was never an option.

He said: “They talked to me and I said, ‘No chance, zero chance, not one per cent chance to make a swap with Alexis and Raz’.

“He is 22, English. He has a lot to improve (but) I trust a lot in him.

“The only deal, if possible, was cash. We tried to make an offer. They accepted but in the end they could not sign the player they wanted to sign, (so) Alexis stayed in Arsenal.”

City have suffered a blow ahead of the Liverpool clash with the loss of captain Vincent Kompany to injury.

Pep said: “He had a problem in his calf. It will be short but the next (game) he will not be able to play.

“With Vincent or without Vincent, we thought maybe we need another but we have (Eliaquim) Mangala, we have Tosin (Adarabioyo) and other players that can play in that position.”