Arsenal round-up: PSG prepared to make Sanchez move; Stoke in talks over Oxlade-Chamberlain; set to lose out on Mbappe

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Alexis Sanchez’s future is a topic that continues to dominate the news and Sky Sports report that PSG are prepared to pay more than £40 million to land the Chilean. He has only 12 months left on his deal at the Emirates Stadium, but Arsene Wenger is insistent that the club have decided that they will not sell the player. Although PSG have yet to make an official offer, they are interested in the 28-year-old and could make a move to test Arsenal’s resolve during the coming days.

It is looking most likely that he will remain in North London for one season, as the club’s insistence that he isn’t for sale is coming across as a genuine statement rather than a negotiating ploy. That said, Sanchez does hold the power and if he pushes for a move, one could happen. The attacker was thought to want a transfer to Manchester City, but PSG could offer an exciting option, especially if they manage to sign Neymar. There are plenty more twists and turns to come in this saga. Gunners’ fans shouldn’t be confident that Sanchez will stay until the window has officially closed.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another player that reportedly wants to leave the club and the Sun report that he is a shock target for Stoke City. Like Sanchez, the midfielder has only one year left on his current contract, which has attracted the interest of rival clubs. Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been linked, but the Potters have also thrown themselves into the race. Mark Hughes has opened discussions over a club-record £25 million transfer and hopes the guarantee of first-team football will be enough to convince the 23-year-old to join the club.

The Potters are in the market for another attacking midfielder after they sold Marko Arnautovic to West Ham and it would make a huge statement if they were to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain. Arsenal do want to keep the England international, but that is looking unlikely and they may be tempted to cash in, especially if they land their priority targets. They would prefer to sell to Stoke than a top-six rival, but it isn’t known whether the player himself would be interested in a move. It would be a step down for the 23-year-old.

Arsenal had been heavily linked with Kylian Mbappe since last season ended and he has clearly been one of Wenger’s priority targets this summer. However, they appear to have lost the race to sign the Frenchman, with Marca reporting that Real Madrid have agreed on a deal to sign the Monaco striker. They claim that Real have agreed to pay an initial fee of around £145 million to take the teenager to the Bernabeu, which would break the world-record transfer fee. This could increase further due to add-ons.

It remains to be seen whether the report is accurate, but Marca are normally reliable when it comes to Real Madrid. The sales of Danilo and Alvaro Morata have boosted their spending power, which makes a transfer this summer possible. Arsenal will be disappointed if that was the case as they believed that they could land Mbappe earlier in the window. Arsene Wenger is a huge fan and it would have been a massive coup for the club. However, it now looks unlikely and they need to move on to focus on more attainable targets.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Stuart MacFarlane.