According to reports from Don Balon, Manchester United are targeting Arsenal talisman Alexis Sanchez.
The Chile international has emerged as one of the Premier League’s flagship talents since joining the Emirates ranks from Barcelona in summer 2014, claiming 24 goals and eight assists in 47 league outings for the Gunners.
Don Balon claim the 26-year-old’s superlative form this season, generating a Premier League strike-rate of one-in-two, has attracted interest from two of Europe’s biggest clubs; Ligue 1 champions PSG and top flight title rivals Manchester United.
The French big-spenders want a star-studded replacement for enigmatic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose Parc de Princes contract expires at the end of the season, and the South American more than fits the bill.
United boss Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, has steadily hinted over the last few weeks that he intends to sign a winger during the January transfer window, telling reporters after the Red Devils’ 2-0 win over West Brom on Saturday; “You have seen that now we play with Jesse Lingard and he is not the most speedy winger in the world and Mata is also not the most speedy winger in the world. So first we must first finish that problem and then we can see how we have to play and how we are in balance with playing with speedy wingers.”
The Spanish publication claim the Dutchman has already contacted Sanchez, assuring the winger that he’d be a ‘cornerstone of the new project’ at Old Trafford, and further allege that any negotiations would start at the £50million mark.
Considering how crucial to the Gunners cause Sanchez has become during his short spell in the Premier League, however, Arsene Wenger’s side would sell to a direct divisional rival.