Alexis Sanchez is close to joining Manchester United. (Getty Images)

The race to sign Alexis Sanchez has taken plenty of twists and turns this month as Manchester United have now emerged as clear favourites to sign the forward from Arsenal.

Manchester City and Chelsea have also expressed an interest in the Chilean, who is available on a free transfer at the end of the season.

But United are not prepared to wait that long and Jose Mourinho is keen to bolster his attacking options before the campaign ends.

Here is the current state of play with Sanchez and the teams involved in trying to sign him…

Sanchez could become the Premier League’s highest earner. (AFP/Getty Images)

MANCHESTER UNITED

Jose Mourinho’s side lead the race to sign Sanchez and are the closest to securing the deal as it stands.

United are ready to make the Chilean the highest-paid player in the Premier League with a salary worth £400,000 a week, and the club are also prepared to meet the fees requested by the player’s representatives.

United have also indicated that they are willing to meet Arsenal’s £35m valuation of Sanchez, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

‘I am not confident but I am not – what’s the opposite of confident? – unconfident. I am just relaxed,’ Mourinho said on Monday night.

‘He is an Arsenal player, he can stay there, but I have a feeling he can move and if he moves I think we have a chance.’

 

United are willing to include Henrikh Mkhitaryan in their Sanchez deal. (AMA/Getty Images)

Reports claim that one factor which is holding up the deal is Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

United have offered Arsenal the chance to sign the Armenia international this month, but the midfielder is yet to agree terms with Arsene Wenger’s side.

Mkhitaryan was left out of United’s 3-0 win over Stoke City on Monday evening and Mourinho admitted after the match that the midfielder could leave Old Trafford before the end of the window.

‘Is he going to be involved in a deal and leave us? It’s possible but it’s also possible that he stays,’ he said.

‘We have to protect him and to protect the team a little bit, so let’s make sure that he stays with us or that he leaves us.’

 

Alexis Sanchez was wanted by Pep Guardiola. (Getty Images)

MANCHESTER CITY

Having been favourites to sign Sanchez at the start of January, Manchester City have now ended their interest in the Chilean.

The Premier League leaders came close to securing a £60m deal in the final stages of the summer transfer window, only for Arsenal to pull the plug on the transfer as they were unable to sign a replacement in time.

Sanchez had agreed the terms of a contract with City in the summer but the 29-year-old’s demands have since been raised, and City are refusing to match the offer on the table from United.

City are also unwilling to meet Arsenal’s £35m asking price having opened the bidding at £20m earlier this month.

Antonio Conte has described Sanchez as a ‘good investement’. (AP Photo)

CHELSEA

The Premier League champions have made a late swoop for Sanchez, according to reports on Monday evening.

Antonio Conte has made no secret of his desire to sign Sanchez and has described the forward as a ‘good investment’.

However, the Italian has constantly stressed that he is not in charge of Chelsea’s transfer policy and any potential deal is out of his hands.

Chelsea have the finances to match Sanchez’s wage demands, but doing so would cause a major disruption to their salary structure which currently has Eden Hazard as the highest earner on £200,000 a week.

Chelsea are keen to tie Hazard and Courtois down on extended contracts, but should Sanchez join, the Belgian duo’s demands would likely increase.

United, therefore, remain favourites to complete a deal for Sanchez.