Arsenal would reportedly allow star forward Alexis Sanchez to move to Manchester City this summer provided their whopping £80 million valuation of the player is met.
That’s according to Steve Stammers and Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror, who have suggested City will bid £50 million for the Chile international in the coming days. However, it seems that offer will be well short of Arsenal’s valuation of their attacking talisman.
“[Pep] Guardiola put Sanchez on his wishlist when he agreed to become City boss more than a year ago,” the report continued. “And City will now make their interest official.”
Guardiola is said to be keen to link up with Sanchez.Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Elsewhere, Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express also reported that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will instruct the club to turn down any offers that come in for Sanchez, even if it means the 28-year-old running down the final year of his contract and leaving for free.
Although Arsenal have done some excellent business in the window so far by bringing in Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette, losing Sanchez would be a massive blow on the cusp of the new season.
As noted by WhoScored.com recently, statistically the Arsenal man compared favourably to the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid last term:
If Arsenal were able to keep Sanchez and line him up alongside Lacazette and Mesut Ozil, they’d be a force in the final third next season.
Sanchez has so many desirable parts to his game. As the above numbers illustrate, he’s exceptional with the ball at his feet, whether dribbling past opponents, threading passes between gaps and scoring goals. But he also presses, tackles and bounds after lost causes. At times, he’s a one-man strikeforce.
Still, it’s unlikely the Etihad Stadium club would be willing to part with that amount of money to sign him; Arsenal supporters would be delighted with that outcome.
Everton to Move for Olivier Giroud
LINDSEY PARNABY/Getty Images
According to Simon Jones of MailOnline, Everton are ready to open the bidding for Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.
As noted in the report, the Toffees are poised to lose Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United and are ready to splash the cash to reinforce their forward line. West Ham United, Lyon and Marseille are also said to be keen on signing the 30-year-old.
However, Jones stated that Everton “are hopeful, if they can strike a deal at the right price with Arsenal, that they can convince Giroud to join their ambitious project.”
Football journalist Patrick Boyland believes the Frenchman would be a fine signing for the Toffees, who have been active in the transfer market this summer:
With Lacazette arriving at the Emirates Stadium, Giroud looks likely to fall further down the pecking order, having only started 11 times in the Premier League in the 2016-17 campaign.
Lacazette’s arrival has cast doubt over Giroud’s future.Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
Giroud still scored 12 goals in the top flight, and while he may not boast an explosiveness comparable to the likes of Sanchez and Lacazette, he’s still a brilliant option in various situations. The former Montpellier striker is an excellent target man, knits attacks together well and can dominate defenders in aerial battles.
While there’s a lot of focus on what he’s unable to do, having variety in the final third is crucial for sides challenging for the top honours. As such, if Giroud were to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer, the Gunners may find it tough to find a stylistic replacement.
