Arsenal want Henrikh Mkhitaryan and £10m from Manchester United for Alexis Sanchez rather than straight swap

Arsenal are pushing Manchester United to include a cash payment of up to £10million in addition to signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan before allowing Alexis Sanchez to move to Old Trafford.

Standard Sport understands that the final stumbling block in the deal is the Gunners’ reluctance to complete a straight swap deal as they believe Sanchez’s valuation is not mirrored by Mkhitaryan after a disappointing 18-month spell at United.

Negotiations are continuing and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger this morning admitted a deal could be completed before Saturday’s Premier League home game against Crystal Palace.

“As you said - you’re well informed - it’s now in the next 24 to 48 hours that it will happen or not,” said Wenger.

“I’ve worked on transfers for 30 years, so it is likely to happen. But at any moment, at any minute, things can break down. That’s how the transfer market is. As long as it’s not over the line, you have to accept that it can as well not happen. These kind of things are never guaranteed. If it doesn’t happen, he will play on Saturday.”

Sanchez has agreed an initial financial package with United worth £350,000-a-week plus image rights and bonuses and it is understood that both the 29-year-old and his agent will receive an eight-figure signing on fee.

This newspaper revealed in April that Sanchez had been offered £300,000-a-week including image rights and Wenger admitted fans had to accept the club could still not compete with United and Manchester City in terms of wages.

“Yes, financially yes,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that you cannot compete on the pitch. That will not be an excuse big enough to not compete on the pitch. Of course, there’s no mystery that United and City have bigger financial resources.

“Will be have to change the wage structure? That would need a longer explanation than just a short press conference. It’s debatable but not feasible. I do not want to come out with the numbers now because I feel it would not be the right moment. We did the maximum we could afford to do. One day maybe I will come out on that. Today’s not the moment.”

Asked whether he was disappointed Sanchez’s decision had seemingly been influenced by money, Wenger said: “No because they are professional players. I have no problem with Alexis Sanchez. His attitude has been outstanding with us. He was in training yesterday, fully committed and prepared 100 per cent.

“One thing you cannot question about Alexis Sanchez is his professionalism and his commitment. After that, he’s 29 years old and the next contract will of course be very important for him.”

Mkhitaryan is set to become Arsenal’s highest-paid player on around £175,000-a-week – the exact figure is yet to be finalised – and Wenger of the 28-year-old: “If it’s a possibility, it’s because I like the player.

“We played many times against him when he was at [Borussia] Dortmund. He certainly appreciated the quality of our game and the way we play football. That’s why certainly he loves the club as well.”

Arsenal were close to selling Sanchez to City for £60m last summer only for the deal to collapse as the Gunners failed to sign Monaco winger Thomas Lemar as a replacement.

Wenger insisted he had no regrets as Arsenal stand on the brink of accepting a valuation of around £35m, depending on the outcome of current talks, just five months later.

“Look, the problem was exactly similar to what it is today,” he said. “I only accept to let him go if somebody else comes in for him and it was not possible in the summer, I would have done it, because it was not possible as it happened very late on the last day of the transfer market and that’s why it didn’t happen. Overall, if it happens now it is because somebody else comes in for him.”