Chelsea are waiting in the wings to see if Alexis Sanchez turns down a new deal at Arsenal, reports the Mirror.
It’s thought the 27-year-old contract rebel won’t put pen to paper on a new deal until he is promised over £200,000, with Mesut Ozil making similar demands.
Few clubs can afford those kind of wages, but Chelsea are certainly one of them.
It seems unthinkable that Arsenal would sell to their Premier League rivals, but a number of factors suggest it’s not totally out of the question.
Firstly, the Chilean only has 18 months left on his contract. That means if Arsenal still haven’t signed him up by the summer, he’ll have just a year to go – by which time, clubs like Chelsea will be able to apply pressure on the Gunners, so that he doesn’t leave for free 12 months later.
It also wouldn’t be the first time the two clubs have swapped players. Ashley Cole, William Gallas, and Petr Cech have all crossed the divide in recent years.
That feeds into the next issue – the player’s own wishes. It’s believed he’s reluctant to take up big money offers from China because he likes living in London, which could pave the way for a switch to Stamford Bridge.
If the attacker’s main frustration is a lack of silverware too, then joining up with Antonio Conte’s men could be appealing – as by the time this deal happens, they could well be champions.
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