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Manchester United are closing in on the capture of Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez
Manchester City were front-runners but Jose Mourinho has swooped in late
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said he respects the way United finance the club
Wenger also believes the next 48 hours is make or break for the Sanchez deal

Published: 07:17 EDT, 18 January 2018 | Updated: 10:58 EDT, 18 January 2018

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Arsene Wenger has taken a thinly veiled swipe at Manchester City as Alexis Sanchez's move to Manchester United nears completion.

City were believed to be in pole position to sign the Chile international at the beginning of the transfer window, but the Old Trafford club hijacked the deal and are now expected to complete the move within the next 48 hours.

Sanchez is expected to become United's top earner on a staggering £450,000-per-week, involving a take-home basic wage of £350,000 a week, image rights of £100,000 plus per week and £7.5million-a-year signing on fee for four years.

Arsene Wenger has taken a thinly veiled swipe at Manchester City amid Alexis Sanchez deal

United are front-runners in the deal and he is expected to joing the club within 48 hours

The numbers are truly eye-watering, but Wenger believes the way United finance their club is something to be respected – hinting at his views on the Abu Dhabi-funded City, headed by UAE deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour.

'I wouldn't like to come out on the numbers because that's Man United's problem,' Wenger said. 'I respect Man United because they generate the money they pay to the players with their own resources so you have to respect that.

'After that it's down to them to know how much they want to give to the player. Overall Man United are a club very well managed financially and of course as well on the pitch so that's why I don't have any problems with the money they pay.

'He's 29 years old so the next contract will be, of course, very important for him.

'We did the maximum we could afford to do and one day maybe I will come out on that but today is not the moment.'

'I respect Man United because they generate money with their own resources,' Wenger said

Sheikh Mansour (centre) is the deputy prime minister of the UAE and the owner of Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), an investment company that successfully acquired Manchester City

Wenger confirmed that a swap deal involving United's Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Sanchez is likely to happen – and added the next two days could be crucial.

'When I left him out at Bournemouth it's because I was scared that we sit at Bournemouth on Saturday night and the transfer happened,' he added.

'It's now in the next 24 or 48 hours it will happen or not.'