Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal will not sell Alexis Sanchez and tells wantaway Chilean he must stay and lead Gunners back to the Champions League

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Arsene Wenger has made his clearest indication yet that he will not sell Alexis Sanchez this summer as he ordered his star striker to fire Arsenal back into the Champions League.

Sanchez spoke last weekend on Radio Sport in Chile of his unfulfilled ‘dream” to win Europe’s top club competition.

His comments fuelled the feeling he was preparing to dash for the Arsenal exit but Wenger will demand the 28-year-old honours the last year of his contract if he will refuses to sign a new one.  

Arsenal has discussed Alexis Sanchez's future during a press conference in Shanghai

Wenger has insisted there is no chance of the club selling Sanchez this summer

Alexis Sanchez is not with the Arsenal squad in China as he enjoys a post-season break

Wenger has discussed the future of Sanchez regularly in recent interviews

‘We have played for 20 years in the Champions League,’ said the Arsenal boss. ‘That’s 17 years before Sanchez arrived and three years with him. So he can get us back in there.

‘The decision has been made and we will stick to that. The decision is not to sell.’

Sanchez has rejected Arsenal’s offer of a new contract thought to be worth more than £300,000 a week and wants £400,000.

Wenger, who has not been in touch with Sanchez since his latest comments, said: ‘When you play in the Champions League, everyone says: Is that all you do?

‘Suddenly when you don’t play in there it becomes a major problem. At the end of the season, only one team can win the Champions League.

‘We have to focus on the competitions we play in and prepare seriously for that. We can’t feel sorry for what we do not play.’ 

Wenger, pictured smiling with a Chinese translator during Wednesday's press conference

Wenger, pictured putting his players through their paces Yuanshen Stadium in the city

Danny Welbeck keeps the ball away from Francis Coquelin during the morning session

Olivier Giroud pours water over his head as he looks to cool off in the extreme Shanghai heat

The Arsenal squad, including Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette, trained again in the evening

Granit Xhaka looks to control the ball during Arsenal's second training session of the day

After finishing fifth last season, Arsenal will go into the Europa League but the top target will be to win the title for the first time since 2004.

‘The main focus for us is to concentrate on the Premier League,’ said Wenger. ‘For me today, it is more important than the Champions League.

‘We rested sometimes players in the group stages of the Champions League for the Premier League, so that’s become the biggest importance for us.

‘After that, if you look in the Premier League in the last two years, and the last two champions, Chelsea and Leicester did not play in Europe at all.

‘We have to focus on the Premier League and prepare well.’ 

Wenger says Sanchez must stay and lead his side back into the Champions League

Xhaka (right) and Ozil battle for the ball as Arsenal are put through their paces

Coquelin escapes with possession as Aaron Ramsey goes to ground to try and win the ball

Preparations continue with a friendly in Shanghai on Wednesday against Bayern Munich, who put 10 past Arsenal over two legs in the Champions League, earlier this year.

Sanchez is still on holiday following extended international duty with Chile at the Confederations Cup.

Manchester City want to sign him but Arsenal’s scars are relatively fresh from five years ago when they sold captain Robin van Persie to Manchester United because he was into the final year of his contract.

United went on to win the Premier League with Van Persie prolific up front. 

Theo Walcott shields the ball from Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Ramsey looks on

‘Every case is different,’ said Wenger. ‘Van Persie was going from 30 to 31 and when he left he had one year on his contract. Sanchez is younger. It is difficult to speak at the moment about that.’

Bayern have been heavily linked with a move for Sanchez but manager Carlo Ancelotti said they moved on to other players when it became clear Arsenal did not want to sell.

‘We talked about Sanchez in the past, in the last two months,’ said Ancelotti. ‘The clubs spoke about this but there was no opportunity and if there was no chance of a transfer then we thought about other players.’

The German champions have signed James Rodriguez on a two-year loan from Real Madrid.

Arsenal's early training session on Tuesday was held at Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium

'Every case is different,' said Wenger. 'Van Persie was going from 30 to 31 and when he left he had one year on his contract.

'Sanchez is younger. It is difficult to speak at the moment about that but the decision has been made and we will stick to that. The decision is not to sell.'

Bayern were also heavily linked with a move for Sanchez this year but manager Carlo Ancelotti said it was ruled out when it became clear Arsenal did not want to sell.

'We talked about Sanchez in the past, in the last two months,' said Ancelotti. 'The clubs spoke about this but there was no opportunity and if there was no chance of a transfer then we thought about other players.'

The German champions have signed James Rodriguez on a two-year loan from Real Madrid.