Sanchez slips out of Pep’s reach
problematic because City failed to get rid of their unwanted centre-half Eliaquim Mangala.
The French defender wanted to join Inter Milan on loan while City were trying to complete a permanent sale to Crystal Palace, before the latter collapsed.
However, Evans was seen only as squad back-up by Guardiola and it was the Sanchez situation that caused him massive frustration.
City CEO Ferran Soriano had been talking to Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis all summer only to be told they would not sell Sanchez, but the situation changed completely on Monday when Arsenal finally indicated they would sell as soon as a replacement was in the door.
Yesterday, while he was on duty with his national squad, Sanchez was reportedly telling Chile team-mates he fully expected to be a City player before the day was out.
And City had even sent club officials over to South America poised to complete paperwork.
Now Arsenal face losing their star asset as a free agent next summer or, less likely, may sell him in January at a vastly reduced fee.
And while City will again head the queue, the situation will be complicated by the fact that Sanchez will be free to talk to foreign clubs as early as January, with Bayern Munich long-term admirers.
As expected, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did leave the Emirates, prompting Aaron Ramsey to question the Gunners’ decision to sell the England midfielder to Liverpool for £35m.
Gunners midfielder Ramsey wrote on Instagram: “Another of our British boys heading on to new things. Not only have we lost a great player, we’ve lost a great guy in the changing room,”
Lucas Perez has also left Arsenal and will return to Deportivo La Coruna on loan after just one season in north London.
Tottenham signed Ivory Coast right-back Serge Aurier for £23m from Paris Saint-Germain.
And Swansea pulled off an eye-catching loan move for Bayern Munich’s Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches.
PSG continued their astonishing spending spree by signing Kylian Mbappe on a season-long loan with a binding option to buy the striker for £166m next summer.
The deal has been structured to help the Ligue 1 club meet Financial Fair Play regulations after their world-record £198m swoop for Neymar earlier this month.
Mbappe, 18, will sign a four-year deal next year and said: “I really wanted to be a part of the club’s project, which is one of the most ambitious in Europe.”
Burnley completed the £5m signing of striker Nakhi Wells who has signed a three-year deal after his move from Huddersfield and Everton paid out an initial £8m to make 19-year-old Hajduk Split winger Nikola Vlasic their ninth signing of the summer.
Watford snapped up £3m Dutch defender Marvin Zeegelaar.