Happy summer transfer window deadline day. Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez is certainly one of the most primary “players to watch” today, if not THE player to keep an eye on. Manchester City reportedly kept up the effort to sign the Chilean superstar today, but because of some transfer window domino theory, it looks like it’s not going to happen.
It’s been well documented that some Gunners players want Sanchez out of the Emirates, but it looks like that’s not going to happen after all.
Arsenal have given up hope of signing Thomas Lemar despite making a late £90-million bid for the Monaco winger, meaning Alexis Sanchez is set to stay at the club, a club source has told ESPN FC. The Gunners had been prepared to sell Sanchez to Manchester City for around £60 million, but only if they could find a top-class replacement for the Chile international.
Given the situation surrounding Alexis Sanchez, £60 million would have been a great return for the Gunners. Heck, even £50m would have been great, especially when you consider that if this doesn’t get done, they’ll get absolutely nothing for him if/when he walks next summer.
Regarding Lemar, multiple outlets claim that Arsenal’s bid was £92 million, and that they withdrew it just minutes after submitting because they didn’t feel there was enough time to finalize it before the window closes, in about four and a half hours. As Lemar is also a Liverpool target, where does this leave Anfield in all of this?
As The Liverpool Offside, on the SB Nation network, point out, LFC’s “earlier offer of £75M is once again the highest standing bid for the player, and Jürgen Klopp’s side are believed to have a deal in place with the player and a medical team standing by to push the deal through before the deadline should a fee be agreed.”
We’ll see what happens between now and the 11th hour, but it’s looking like a very drama filled (in an entertainingly fun way) kind of deadline day.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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