Wenger Talks Openly About Potential of Sanchez for Mkhitaryan Transfer Swap
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that the proposed Alexis Sanchez move to Manchester United does indeed hinge on Henrikh Mkhitaryan - a player he admits he 'likes'.
The saga appears to be coming to an end, with the Chilean looking set to join the Red Devils in a sensational move after Manchester City ended their interest earlier this week.
Wenger spoke to the press on Thursday morning and confirmed that United's deal for Sanchez was subject to the agreement of Mkhitaryan, who has fallen drastically out of favor at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho.
In a press conference on Thursday morning, via journalist John Cross on Twitter, Wenger said: "If it’s a possibility it's because I like the player. We played many times against him when he was at Dortmund, he appreciates the way we play football. Wages? Not a problem."
Both clubs are hoping to conclude their respective deals for the players before Friday midday, which is the last opportunity to register them in time to feature in the Premier League games this weekend, although surprisingly Wenger claimed Sanchez could actually still play for the Gunners against Crystal Palace.
He added: "If it doesn’t happen he could play on Saturday. I’ve worked on transfers for 30 years, it’s likely to happen but these things never guaranteed."
Should Sanchez complete his move as expected, the Times claim he will become the Premier League's highest-paid player on £450,000-a-week, blowing current top earner, the £300,000-a-week Paul Pogba, out of the water.
It will mean that once his four-and-a-half year deal is up, he will have raked in a staggering £50m after tax.
