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Alexis Sanchez: Manchester City accept defeat in Arsenal striker pursuit

By David OrnsteinBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments832

Sanchez
Sanchez made his first appearance of the season in Arsenal's 4-0 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday

Manchester City's bid to sign Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez ended after the Gunners failed to secure a replacement.

It is understood a conditional agreement was reached in principle between City and Arsenal for Sanchez, 28, to move to Etihad Stadium.

The fee was £55m, plus £5m add-ons, but it depended on Arsenal replacing him.

Their target was Monaco winger Thomas Lemar, who is thought to have decided against a move.

A fee in the region of £90m had reportedly been agreed between the Gunners and Monaco for the 21-year-old France international.

Sanchez wanted to join City to be reunited with his former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola.

He is into the final year of his contract and is likely to leave on a free transfer next summer.

One player who is leaving the Emirates is striker Lucas Perez, signed last summer for £17.1m, who is returning to former club Deportivo La Coruna on loan after scoring seven goals in 21 games for the Gunners.

Analysis

Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam speaking to BBC Radio 5 live:

Arsenal need Alexis Sanchez more than they need the £60m.

Without him, they've no chance of getting in the Champions League this season. He won't sulk.

Come 1 September, he'll knuckle down and give his all for the team.

Former Aston Villa, Chelsea and Republic of Ireland midfielder Andy Townsend:

Arsenal are in a mess. I would let have let Sanchez go.

His body language in Sunday's 4-0 defeat by Liverpool was really poor.

He's had enough and his mind is already elsewhere. I don't think he'll be able to pick it up quite as quick.

Arsenal Supporters' Trust board member Akhil Vyas:

I hope he regains his focus and gives it his all, which he tends to when on a pitch, for the next season at least.

It has been a very underwhelming end to the window but, at the very worst, if we were not going to bring anyone in, we had to keep Alexis.

Sanchez's FA Cup final screamer

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Comments

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832 comments

  • Comment posted by Ohcomeonnow, at 14:25 29 Aug 2017

    Why would anyone want Sterling - just another of those buzzy little players who twice a season beat 5 defenders & leave pundits drooling then for the rest of the season offer next to nothing.

  • Comment posted by gooner7, at 14:42 29 Aug 2017

    Place your bets on what Sanchez says when he joins city.

    Its always been a boyhood dream of mine to play for Manchester city. Evens.

    Arsenal and their fans will always be in my heart. 2/1

    I'm a spoilt brat and sulked and threw tantrums till I got my way. 100/1

    Special offer. 50/1 for all of the above.

  • Comment posted by gooneryboy, at 14:24 29 Aug 2017

    We might as well just sell. What joke of a season this has turned out to be before it has even started. Ox finally looking half decent is now off to Chelsea. Our 2nd best defender doesn't want to play for us and would rather go to Inter Milan and now our best player will definitely be off too. All this only 3 months after Wenger signing a 2 year extension.

  • Comment posted by McBilty, at 14:31 29 Aug 2017

    Breaking news??? They've wanted him all summer

  • Comment posted by Moulinie23, at 14:38 29 Aug 2017

    If this is breaking news, I guess all those Sanchez to City stories I've read previously were hallucinations?

  • Comment posted by Christian76, at 21:47 29 Aug 2017

    A bid of £50,000,001 should do it.

  • Comment posted by User0864837225, at 14:44 29 Aug 2017

    Sterling is the fastest ball boy on earth. How we (Liverpool) got £49million for him I have no idea. He's crap.

  • Comment posted by A_Hawke, at 20:58 29 Aug 2017

    Pep Guardiola and man city are a joke. They should win every trophy available the amount they spend. How come they don't get done by financial fair play? Joke.

  • Comment posted by Strangely Brown, at 14:29 29 Aug 2017

    This is a no-brainer one is a truly world class footballer and the other is Raheem sterling.

  • Comment posted by bhbhbh, at 14:34 29 Aug 2017

    Arsenal could legitimately get relegated this season.

  • Comment posted by Fidgetwidget, at 21:42 29 Aug 2017

    Arsenal should sell all their players and take their fans on a 5 year holiday. Seems like they need it with the amount of moaning they do. My club wins nothing every season for over 65 years. However ay least we know how to have a laugh.

  • Comment posted by bluetobits, at 15:01 29 Aug 2017

    It's the players who have the talent,they decide who they play for and rightly so.

    A contract is for the club who will get a massive sum if he leaves & the player gets a certain wage that's all it is.

    Loyalty is to your family not some football club.

    I support the shirt don't care who plays in it as long as they play well.Players come and go but the only constant is the support - move on

  • Comment posted by U16746973, at 14:25 29 Aug 2017

    'No formal approach has been made for Sanchez '

    Must be another BBC non-story of this window

  • Comment posted by Chris M, at 21:48 29 Aug 2017

    I would laugh my b******s off if Sterling goes to non champions league Arsenal. He left Liverpool not for the money buy for the 'glory'. Enjoy the 'glory' at the Emirates Raheem.

  • Comment posted by JonLawrance, at 21:31 29 Aug 2017

    Time for my two pennies worth. I'm not a Wenger fan any more but I'm a realist. He signed for two years, we have him for two years. We are Arsenal and no player or manager are bigger than the club. If players don't want to play for Arsenal then we don't want you. Enjoy your bench rotation shifts. But we have a manager who LOVES Arsenal. Let's support the team, not any one individual

  • Comment posted by Mancunian and Proud, at 14:30 29 Aug 2017

    Apart from the Sterling bit this news is older than my mum... why would Sterling want to leave City though to go to Arsenal... ??

  • Comment posted by nitro, at 18:18 29 Aug 2017

    People label Mourinho as arrogant but wherever he has been, he demands players to work hard for the team to pay off their obscene pay checks.

    The reverse is also true. Wenger has got $$$$$-demanding players who are not willing to give 100% to the team.

    How Chamberlain wants to earn more than the likes of Kane, Alli, Dybala, Mane, Kroos etc is beyond me

  • Comment posted by User0248950316, at 23:09 29 Aug 2017

    After scoffing a few beers tonight(fell out with the dragon), I've decided to chip-in without looking at previous comments nor the main headline for that matter!! I get paid just over 11 pounds per hour which I think is a decent wage for what I do... does anybody genuinely feel that these Premiership Footballers are worth what they're getting paid?? How did it get so brutally wrong??

  • Comment posted by Tralfamadorean, at 23:15 29 Aug 2017

    The Ox, Sanchez, Ozil - they're not real Goooners - if they want out then sell them! I would rather be beaten with a team of enthusiastic youngsters than hold on to these over-pampered leeches.

  • Comment posted by Duane Pipe, at 19:15 29 Aug 2017

    Sell Sanchez, Ozil, Ox & anyone else who doesn't want to play for the club but is happy to keep picking up their huge wages, along with all other dead-wood, they should've all gone at the start of the window to generate funds to rebuild, one of the major problems at Arsenal is the lack of ruthlessness & decisiveness, as for Sterling, we've had enough wastes of space & certainly don't need another.

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