Wenger wants Foxes star before he gives green light to Sanchez’s £35M City move

ARSENE WENGER will only let Alexis Sanchez move to Manchester City for £35million this month... if he can sign Riyah Mahrez to replace him.

Wenger wants a proven high-profile signing in place before he will sanction Sanchez’s move to the Etihad.

The Gunners tried, and failed, to get Thomas Lemar from Monaco on deadline day in August, which scuppered a City move for the Chilean.

Liverpool are now the favourites to sign Lemar after Philippe Coutinho’s £142m mega move to Barcelona was sealed last night. Wenger has turned his attention to £40m-rated Mahrez (left), but could also face competition from Liverpool’s Reds if the Lemar deal falls down.

Leicester would fight to keep Mahrez who pushed for a move last summer. It is thought he would welcome a move to Arsenal.

One possible stumbling block for City in any Sanchez deal is agreeing a financial package with the striker (above).

He was 29 last month and knows this will be his last major contract with a top-level club.

Sanchez also knows that he will be a strong position if he stays at Arsenal until the end of the season because he will then be a free agent and can command a massive signing on fee.

Cash-rich Paris SaintGermain would be able to match those demands, but they are currently frustrated by Financial Fair Play rules. It means they will have to sell players like Angel Di Maria, Javier Pastore and Julian Draxler before they can contemplate another highly-expensive signing. That gives City an advantage – but Sanchez will play hard ball over finances.

He would welcome the chance to work again with City manager Pep Guardiola, who was his boss at Barcelona.