BBC Sport claims that Manchester City will hold fire until the summer on making a move for out-of-contract Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez.
The more excitable tabloids have sworn blind that the runaway Premier League leaders will swoop for the Chilean hitman as soon as the January transfer window opens but the Beeb brings a more sober assessment to the saga.
Saying that City “remain keen” on signing the Arsenal frontman, the BBC says that they will “wait until the summer before making another attempt”.
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Why? Because Sky Blues boss Pep Guardiola is understandably chuffed to bits with the way his squad has performed in the first half of the season and he fears “bringing in Sanchez may cause disruption”.
But might there be a sting in the tail for City? According to the Daily Express French champions Paris Saint-Germain “are ready to make a £25million January move” for Sanchez.
Apparently PSG have got wind of City’s position and they intend to exploit Guardiola’s reticence, tabling a bid next month that they are confident will be accepted by the Gunners.
Meanwhile, Arsenal and Manchester United are set to go head-to-head for the services of Daniele Rugani next month.
According to The Sun, the 23-year-old defender is struggling to nail down a place in the Juventus line-up and that’s prompted the Italy international to question his future.
Taking Italian newspaper Il Posticipo as its source, the Sun claims that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has had the young blocker scouted in recent weeks and he “will launch a £35.4m move” for Rugani.
But United are also monitoring the situation in Turin and have noted the rumours suggesting Rugani “is now believed to feel his future lies away from the Old Lady”.
According to sources within Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho will be given a £90m war chest with which to reinforce his squad in January’s transfer window and he is desperate to bolster his back four for the second half of the season.
