Manchester City offer Raheem Sterling in a bid to lure Alexis Sanchez away from Arsenal

Widespread reports are suggesting Pep Guardiola’s eagerness to bring Sanchez to City will see him consider releasing Sterling as part of a £70m deal, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger a stated admirer of the former Liverpool winger.

Sanchez entered the final year of his current Arsenal contract last summer and has made it clear to the club that he will not sign a new deal, yet Wenger has insisted he wants to hang on to the Chilean international and allow him to leave on a free transfer next summer.

Wenger made similar claims when striker Robin van Persie entered the final year of his contract in 2012, with the Dutchman eventually leaving for Manchester United and Wenger offering up these quotes on his departure.

“It's never great to lose players of that quality but he only had a year contract so we do not have a choice,” he stated at the time.

Wenger had insisted on numerous occasions that his club’s stance over Sanchez’s future will be different, but the player is clearly keen to leave and a reunion with his former Barcelona boss at City has been his preference for several months.

It remains to be seen whether 28-year-old Sanchez will get his wish, but the introduction of Sterling into this potential deal ensures there will be ramifications for both Arsenal and City in this deal is not finalised.

Sterling scored City’s dramatic winner in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth, but he now knows that Guardiola is happy for him to leave the club two years after he sealed a controversial switch from Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have denied reports that Sanchez handed in a transfer request on Monday, less than 24 hours after he played what may have been his last Gunners game in the 4-0 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.