Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has reportedly snubbed interest from Real Madrid as he continues to hold out for a move to Manchester City.
The 28-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season, and he’ll be able to discuss an agreement with other clubs from January onwards as he enters the final six months of his Arsenal contract.
According to The Mirror, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had made him a top target on their transfer list, but the La Liga giants are expected to be left disappointed.
It’s claimed that Sanchez is still adamant about joining City either in January or next summer, with Arsenal now set to miss out on £60m as per the report, the fee being offered to them prior to the summer transfer window deadline.
Instead, they’ll either have to accept a cut-price deal in January or lose him for nothing in the summer, as based on these latest reports, it doesn’t sound as though the Chilean international is particularly keen on signing a new deal with the Gunners.
It’s a bitter blow for Arsenal to lose their talisman, and that will hurt supporters in itself. However, it will make it much worse to see him stay in England and join a Premier League rival, a pain that they know all too well from previous experience with Robin van Persie to Man Utd and a whole host of others to City.
As a result, it looks as though a similar pattern could be emerging here, unless a miraculous change of heart ensures that Sanchez stays with Arsenal beyond this season.