Alexis Sanchez is heading for Manchester City — in a deal worth £400,000-a-week.
Striker Sanchez will be quids in, because the league leaders are prepared to wait until next summer and sign the Arsenal star as a free agent.
Chilean superstar Sanchez will get a signing-on fee and huge contract that will equate to a salary of around £325,000-a-week PLUS image rights worth another £75,000-a-week.
That would make him one of the world game’s top earners — boosted by the fact he will not cost City a transfer fee.
Sanchez, who has already turned down that sort of figure from China, has made it clear to Arsenal he is going to quit.
City are confident they can wait until the end of the season to sign him, even though Paris Saint-Germain remain keen and could bid in January.
The Mancunian Blues bid £60million for Sanchez in August but the deal did not happen as Arsenal could not get a replacement signed in time, failing with a last-minute bid for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar.
Sanchez is keen to leave the Londoners as he wants to win trophies — and Chile’s shock failure to qualify for next summer's World Cup has only made him even more determined to join a European power.
His form has dropped off in recent weeks, but the Gunners may not be able to sell in January if City believe they can get him in the summer.
Arsenal are in a similar situation with midfielder Mesut Ozil, whose contract is up next summer and he is a target for Manchester United and Barcelona.
But they have not given up on keeping the Germany international and are still hoping they can tempt him to stay. They have already offered him £275,000-a-week.
Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright claims their handling of the Sanchez and Ozil situations has been “disgusting”.
He said: “It is terrible business for Arsenal, for a club that is accused of being a business to allow two players like that to run their contracts down.
“Sanchez, on top form, is easily a £100m player. Ozil on top form is worth £70m-£80m. Arsenal are letting that go. It is disgusting business on the management side for Arsenal.
“How are you going to sell players like that in January for £25m? It is like people are laughing at you.
“Manchester City could find £25m in the car seat or something. And you’re going to get Sanchez for that kind of money?
“For it to get to this point where they can be offered that kind of money.... and why would you offer £60m when they are free in a few months?
“With the way Sanchez is playing and having seen him be substituted in recent times, something that never used to happen, I would probably take the hit on him now — because it looks like the towel has gone in and his heart isn’t in it now.”