Arsenal willing to risk Alexis Sanchez free transfer exit as star holds out for £400,000-a-week in contract standoff

Arsenal are prepared for Alexis Sanchez’s contract saga to potentially drag on into next season.

Standard Sport revealed in April that the 28-year-old had been offered a complex package worth £300,000-a-week including image rights and although that deal remains on the table, there has so far been no indication Sanchez will sign.

The 28-year-old has not yet agitated for a move either despite entering the final year of his contract amid interest from Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

Sanchez is currently away on holiday following his exertions at the Confederations Cup with Chile and will not return to the club until the end of the month.

Arsenal are so far holding firm on their intent not to sell to another Premier League rival, but the cost of a deal for a player with such a short time left on his contract has put off overseas buyers.

The Gunners would demand at least £50million for Sanchez while it emerged in Germany last month that Bayern Munich were quoted £420,000-a-week to meet the player’s salary demands.

Bayern informally indicated they may have been willing to go to £350,000-a-week but have since turned their attentions elsewhere as they believe the total outlay would be better spent on younger players.

Arsenal are yet to receive a bid for Sanchez despite recent speculation suggesting City are confident of securing a deal.

Manager Arsene Wenger wants to keep Sanchez next season and is willing to risk losing him for nothing next summer. Should he stay and no fresh deal be agreed, Sanchez can begin talking to other clubs directly from January 1.

It is understood that Sanchez felt particularly disappointed with the club’s lack of transfer activity two years ago, when Arsenal failed to sign an outfield player with goalkeeper Petr Cech the only addition.

The arrival of Alexandre Lacazette for a club-record £52m from Lyon is a statement of intent and could help convince Sanchez his future lies at Arsenal, especially with the club pursuing other targets including Thomas Lemar and, however remote the possibility, Kylian Mbappe, both currently at Monaco.

Wages are, however, the main sticking point with Sanchez holding out for a wage closer to £400,000-a-week - a figure the Gunners are unwilling to match.

Should Sanchez push for a move, Arsenal will be backed into making a difficult decision but as things stand there is a real possibility he could honour the final year of his contract and make a final decision next year.