BLUES ARE CLOSING IN

CITY WANT SANCHEZ DEAL DONE BY END OF MONTH

CITY hold the aces as they seek a deal for Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez.

The Blues are being quoted £35m to land the Chile international after injury to Gabriel Jesus has encouraged them to make a move this month.

The Blues were originally happy to wait until the summer, confident Sanchez, who is out of contract at the end of this season, would join them on a free transfer after a £60m deal collapsed on deadline day in August.

But the fact Jesus picked up knee ligament damage in the New Year’s Eve game at Crystal Palace has prompted them to move now.

Initial tests suggest the Brazil star will be out for around six weeks, and his agent has moved to knock down rumours he may actually have a rupture, which would rule him out for the season.

Jesus is due to fly to Barcelona this week for further treatment, but City sources stress it is standard procedure.

Arsenal have been happy to encourage links with Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain in a bid to drive up the price of Sanchez.

But City chiefs remain confident the player is still keen to join them – and would even wait until the summer if the Gunners do not drop their price.

The Blues feel Arsenal missed their big chance to cash-in on the player last summer, when the London club pulled the plug after failing to land Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as a replacement.