Alexis has medical today as the swap deal is nearly

ALEXIS Sanchez is due in Manchester today for a medical to complete his £35million swap deal from Arsenal, with United manager Jose Mourinho declaring: ‘I think we are going to be successful.’

United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has agreed personal terms to move to Arsenal in the opposite direction but the Gunners opening £44million bid for Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been rejected so they will try again.

However, Mourinho, speaking after United’s 1-0 win at Burnley, sounded like a man who knew he’d finally got his man.

Sanchez, 29, will earn around £450,000-a-week at Old Trafford as United break the bank to beat off competition from Manchester City and Chelsea.

‘I expect soon, or never,’ said Mourinho. ‘I think it is so close. So close. I am positive. I know that my people are doing absolutely everything they can. The owners with the green light, I think everybody is doing everything they can. I think we are going to be successful.’

The final breakthrough came yesterday morning when terms of the swap deal with Mkhitaryan were finalised. Sanchez was immediately able to make plans to travel to Manchester where he was set to meet United’s medical staff, who had earlier been at Turf Moor with the team.

Sanchez said farewell to his Arsenal team-mates on Friday after training with them prior to their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. Similarly, Mkhitaryan had made a tearful farewell to his United friends and staff prior to heading south to speak to Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger said: ‘January has been difficult for us, destabilising. It is the first time this has happened to us in January. We have had big players concerned with moving away which causes uncertainty in the dressing room. I was tempted to include Sanchez against Palace, yes, but I didn’t take him because there is a question of him moving to United. You can’t drive north and play football. I expect it to happen but I can’t announce it. Until it’s over the line you can’t say it will happen.’

Chile international Sanchez wanted to leave Arsenal for Manchester City last summer. It didn’t happen then but with only six months left on his contract, Wenger decided a trade deal with Mkhitaryan was preferable to losing him for nothing in the