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ARSENAL are close to clinching the £30 million signing of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona. Forward Sanchez is understood to have already agreed in principle to join Arsenal on a contract worth over £100,000-a-week and sources in Spain claim his agent Fernando Felicevich is in London to thrash out the final details.
Arsenal are understood to be paying Barca around £30m for Sanchez and all that seemingly remains is for the Chile star to pass a medical and formally sign.
Liverpool and Juventus had hoped to rival Arsenal for the signing of Sanchez, but both clubs are coming to terms with the fact the 25-year-old is set to move to London.
Barcelona are aiming to clinch a straight cash deal for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez after Sanchez turned down the chance to move to Anfield. Sources in Italy claim Juventus cannot match the figures on offer from Arsenal and the Turin club are closing in on alternative transfer targets.
Sanchez is keen on moving to London and being given the chance to be the star man at the Emirates.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger settled on Sanchez as his main summer target while in Brazil watching the World Cup, where the player scored two goals in four games.
Sanchez was the standout performer in Chile’s good showing and can play anywhere across a front three. He scored 21 goals for Barcelona last season.
Wenger is keen to increase the goal threat and pace within his squad, and Sanchez will be expected to have a big impact on both counts.
Arsenal last season relied solely on Olivier Giroud as their main striker and badly missed the pace of Theo Walcott when he was out injured.
Other than aiming to tie up a deal for Sanchez, Arsenal are expected to confirm the signing of right-back Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle.
Bacary Sagna’s move to Manchester City made right-back an area Wenger needed to strengthen and Debuchy will take over the spot from his French international team-mate at the Emirates.
Arsenal are also still hopeful of signing a new dominant central midfielder, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender a target, and a back-up goalkeeper.
Cardiff’s David Marshall was Arsenal’s preferred goalkeeping option, but the Welsh club’s £15m asking price is far too high.
Captain Thomas Vermaelen is sweating on Arsenal finding a defender to replace him as he waits to complete a move to Manchester United.
Vermaelen has an agreement in principle to join United, but knows that Arsenal are unlikely to let him go to Old Trafford until they have found more central defensive cover.
Despite the fact he only has a year remaining on his contract, Vermaelen is valued at more than £10m by Arsenal.
West Ham central defender Winston Reid is a player Arsenal scouts have watched for some time and Wenger could yet make a bid for the New Zealand international.
Reid’s West Ham contract only has one year left to run and the 26-year-old is thought to have £75,000-a-week to commit his future to the club.
derick.khumalo