Alexis Sanchez was ready to commit his future to Arsenal… and then Bayern Munich happened.
Sanchez had reportedly agreed to extend his current deal with the Gunners last year but Bayern’s 10-2 aggregate victory over Arsene Wenger’s side in the Champions League forced him to change his mind.
The Times report that the Chile international had “shaken hands” on a new contract with Arsenal last December but made a quick U-Turn on his decision after the Round of 16 humiliation at the hands of the Bundesliga giants.
5-1 defeats, at home and away, inspired Sanchez to hold off on signing and now it looks almost certain that the forward will either sign for Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain on the cheap in the January transfer window or go for free in the summer.
Sanchez almost signed for City in August, only for the deal to fall through when Arsenal couldn’t bring in Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as his replacement in the dying moments of the transfer window.
The 29-year-old came in for heavy criticism after his current side’s defeat to City in early November as he approached the opposition dugout and embraced some of the City staff, leading supporters to believe that his heart was already with Pep Guardiola’s team.
Big hug between Arteta and Sanchez as the Arsenal man heads for the changing room. pic.twitter.com/7jCvbPyToA
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 5, 2017
Sanchez’s days at the Emirates are numbered, that much is clear, but it’s difficult not to wonder what might have been if Bayern hadn’t been quite so ruthless in front of goal earlier this year.
