Man City offer Raheem Sterling as a makeweight in bid to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal

Raheem Sterling and Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal are adamant Sanchez will not leave this summer, but might be tempted by Sterling Credit: Getty Images

Manchester City have offered Raheem Sterling as a makeweight as part of a bid to prise Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal.    Arsenal have insisted that they will not sell Sanchez even though he has less than a year left on his contract and they would be writing off a £60 million plus asset.

But Guardiola is determined to bring Sanchez to the Etihad Stadium and City believe the only way to prise the Chilean away at this late stage may be to include a prominent player as part of any deal.

In what promises to be a frenetic final 72 hours of the transfer window for City, the Manchester club are also expected to lodge a third bid worth up to £30 million today for West Bromwich Albion centre-half Jonny Evans.

Jonny Evans of West Bromwich Albion in action during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Burnley at The Hawthorns on November 21, 2016 in West Bromwich, England
City are also expected to lodge a third bid for Jonny Evans in a busy end to the transfer window Credit:  Getty Images Europe

Sterling has started the season impressively for City and been one of Pep Guardiola’s best performers, with the England forward scoring a dramatic stoppage time winner against Bournemouth on Saturday, five days after claiming the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at home to Everton.

But Guardiola is determined to bring Sanchez to the Etihad Stadium and City believe the only way to prise the Chilean away at this late stage will be to include a prominent player as part of any deal. According to reports, Sanchez has asked to be excused from Chile's training camp to attend to personal business.

Although it is thought Guardiola gave the greenlight to Sterling’s signing before taking over as City manager, the subsequent arrivals of Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and now Bernardo Silva have raised doubts about the former Liverpool winger’s future and it is not unfeasible that he will leave City before the close of Thursday’s transfer window.

With the World Cup finals in Russia next summer, Sterling’s prospects of starting for England could be hampered if he is not guaranteed a regular starting place for City.

Sterling, 22, joined City from Liverpool two years ago for an initial £44 million rising to £49 million. It is unclear at this stage how much money City are offering Arsenal in addition to Sterling.

Guardiola claimed after the Bournemouth victory that Sterling needs to be more consistently ruthless in front of goal to make a leap to the top bracket of players.

 "He has the ability to go one against one, to attack, to be aggressive, to do what we are looking for,” Guardiola said. “We played to attack the central defenders and ‘Rash’ has this ability. If he had a little bit more sense of the goal, he would be one of the most incredible players. But, of course, he has scored two goals. Hopefully he can score more. But we encourage him, tell him he has to be positive, and try and try and try and try to score a goal.”

Meanwhile, West Brom are braced for an improved offer today from City for Evans, who is currently training at City’s CFA HQ with the Northern Ireland squad ahead of their World Cup qualifiers away to San Marino on Friday and against Czech Republic in Belfast three days later.

City’s second offer, worth up to £21 million with add ons, was rejected by West Brom just over a fortnight ago but Guardiola is determined to sign the centre half and City are likely to offer a package worth about £30 million.

The potential arrival of Evans and Sanchez would mean Guardiola has signed seven senior players this summer, in addition to youngster Douglas Luiz, who has been loaned to Girona.

 

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