PSG drop interest in signing Sanchez
There have been questions over whether Alexis Sanchez would remain at Arsenal this summer Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images
Arsenal have received a significant boost on the eve of the season with Paris Saint-Germain dropping their interest in Alexis Sanchez following the world record signing of Neymar.
At the same time Chelsea and Manchester United have received encouragement to pursue a deal to sign Serge Aurier after PSG decided to put the right-back up for sale.
Aurier is highly-rated by PSG but after the arrival of Dani Alves and with the Belgium international right-back Thomas Meunier also at the club, it has been decided that he can leave to kick-start his career elsewhere.
PSG had been close to making a move, and were confident of succeeding, for Sanchez before they agreed the extraordinary £198million deal to sign Neymar from Barcelona.
The French giants had hoped to sign either Neymar, Sanchez or Monaco's Kylian Mbappe during this window and are delighted to have secured the Brazilian international who was their first-choice.
Sanchez is still wanted by Manchester City but there is a growing sense that despite having just one year left on his contract Arsenal are prepared to allow him to see out the remainder of his deal and leave for free next summer.
Although manager Arsene Wenger has insisted in the past that players would not be sold, before eventually agreeing a deal, there is a feeling that this time he is determined to maintain that stance - not least because of the number of times he has said it publicly.
Bayern Munich, who also held talks with Sanchez's representatives, have already backed off because of his wage demands with senior sources at PSG strongly dismissing reports from the striker's native Chile that they are prepared to bid more than £80million for the 28-year-old.
