Manchester United appeared to be closing in on Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez on Monday, leading the chase to sign the Chile international ahead of long-time suitors and local rivals Manchester City. If the transfer goes ahead it would be the second blockbuster move of the January transfer window involving Premier League clubs following Philippe Coutinho’s big-money move from Liverpool to Barcelona. Former England captain Alan Shearer said the signing would be a huge coup for United because he has been a Guardiola target for some time. Sanchez joined Arsenal from Barcelona in 2014 and in a stellar 2016/17 campaign scored 30 goals and made 17 assists, though his form has since dipped. A number of Arsenal players have also joined City in recent years including Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure.

Source: Punch January 15, 2018 14:37 UTC