Manchester United may have to pay over £10 million in agent fees to land Alexis Sanchez ahead of rivals Man City

Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez wants to leave Arsenal Credit: AFP

Manchester United could pay yet another eight-figure agent fee if they land Alexis Sanchez ahead of rivals City this month.

City have claimed they are prepared to walk away from a move to sign Sanchez due to the financial demands of the deal with only six months of the player’s Arsenal contract to run.

On top of the £30 million fee Arsenal want for Sanchez, it is believed that the agent of the 29 year-old, Fernando Felicevich, is expected to be paid a fee in excess of £10m to push a deal through in this transfer window.

That has caused concern at City, who had hoped to get Sanchez for around £20m this month, but United may be prepared to match the fees involved.

Agent Mino Raiola reputedly earned £41m for taking Paul Pogba back to United in a world record £89m transfer in 2016. And last summer, United are understood to have paid Raiola around £12m to sign Romelu Lukaku for an initial £75m ahead of Chelsea.

Despite matching United’s offer for Lukaku, Chelsea had been unwilling to pay Raiola’s fee and the figures associated with Felicevich may have put them off a move for Sanchez, who head coach Antonio Conte has spoken of his admiration for.

City could yet have a change of heart and meet the financial demands to sign Sanchez, or negotiate a compromise with Arsenal over the fee.

Sanchez is understood to prefer the prospect of a move to City to work with Pep Guardiola and it now remains to be seen whether or not money talks. The family of Sanchez arrived in London on Saturday with the forward seemingly on the verge of clinching a move away from Arsenal.

Arsenal are hopeful of replacing Sanchez with Bordeaux forward Malcom, with Monaco insistent that Thomas Lemar, who the Gunners tried to sign last summer, will not be sold this month.

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