Alexis Sanchez to leave Arsenal this week - but will it be to City or United?

Alexis Sanchez will cease to be an Arsenal player this week with Arsene Wenger claiming that the Chilean striker’s future will be resolved “imminently”.

Sanchez was omitted from the Gunners squad that travelled to Bournemouth yesterday and lost 2-1, a defeat that plunges the club into a major crisis given that they are now without a win in their last five competitive matches.

But that will shortly no longer be the concern of Sanchez who, wisely, is abandoning the sinking ship that is Arsenal football club although his destination is still uncertain.

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According to Sky Sports Manchester United are “confident of beating rivals Manchester City to sign him” with the Sky Blues unwilling to meet Arsenal’s £35m transfer fee.

Goal.com claims that the Premier League leaders “reacted angrily when asked by the Chilean’s agent to pay more money in wages”, and have subsequently withdrawn from the race.

Their neighbours have no such reservations and the deal is likely to be concluded at the start of this week, at least that was Wenger’s take on the matter as he spoke to reporters after the Bournemouth humiliation.

“It will be decided in the next 48 hours,” Wenger said, when asked about Sanchez’s departure. “He is on standby so I decided not to bring him [to Bournemouth]. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to play… this is a difficult period for him. He has always been committed until now.”

The absence of Sanchez from yesterday’s squad, and that of the injured Olivier Giroud, underlined the weakness of Arsenal’s frontline resources as they slumped to a defeat that leaves them in sixth, eight points behind Chelsea in fourth.

Sky Sports say that Arsenal have scheduled a meeting with Bordeaux “to discuss a potential deal for Brazilian forward Malcom”, a name that is hardly likely to lift the gloom that hangs over the Emirates.

Saying there is “nothing concrete on Malcom yet”, Wenger avoided any further questions on the possible signing of the South American striker.

According to the Metro the French club are refusing to sell Malcom and the paper quotes Bordeaux owner Nicolas de Tavernost telling L’Equipe that “Malcom will not be leaving”.

However, adds Metro, “a £53m deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is thought to be on the cards” with Arsenal apparently increasingly confident of prising the Gabon goal-machine from Borussia Dortmund.