Alexis Sanchez drops pay demands to force Man City move

So desperate is Alexis Sanchez to leave Arsenal for Manchester City that he's "prepared to accept a pay-cut in order to seal a move".

So says the Daily Express with the paper adding that the Chilean frontman is edging ever closer to an exit from the Emirates although there are still several obstacles to surmount before he can finally call himself an ex-Gunner.

Although Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently dismissed rumours of Sanchez's imminent exit, the Frenchman is reluctant to keep a player whose heart is no longer in the job. With Bayern Munich having dropped out of the race and Sky still insisting that Paris Saint-Germain are more interested in Neymar, that leaves just City.

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It's no secret that Sanchez "has his heart set on a reunion" with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and the Express claims that the 28-year-old Sanchez is prepared to accept less than £300,000 a week to join City, despite recent rumours that he was demanding a weekly wage of £350,000.

Meanwhile City have officially announced the arrival of Benjamin Mendy from Monaco in what the Daily Mail says is a word record transfer for a defender of £52m.

That takes the club's outlay on full-backs so far this summer to £133m and the 23-year-old (who has signed a five-year deal) could make his debut as early as Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Real Madrid in Los Angeles.

Speaking to City's official website, the French blocker said: "I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City. They are one of Europe's leading Clubs and in Pep Guardiola they have a manager committed to playing attacking football."

Man City to offer £50m for Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez

10 July

Alexis Sanchez is determined to engineer his exit from the Emirates, reports the Daily Mirror, and Arsenal have responded by slapping an £80m price tag on the Chilean marksman.

The Gunners are determined to milk Sanchez for every last penny after he told them he "wants out" and Man City boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly ready to "table an opening bid of £50m" for the player he came to admire during their time together at Barcelona.

But the Mirror says City's overtures will receive short shrift in north London. In fact it remains to be seen whether Arsenal would sell Sanchez to the Sky Blues even if they did meet their £80m valuation. The Mirror says that Arsene Wenger is "adamant that Sanchez will not be allowed to join a Premier League rival" but Guardiola believes that's merely posturing and with Bayern Munich apparently backing away from Sanchez's wage demands Arsenal will want to sell to whoever remains interested rather than risk him leaving on a free in 12 months.

Meanwhile the Mirror mentions in passing that while City are focusing most of their transfer energy on Sanchez they "continue to negotiate with Tottenham for England right-back Kyle Walker and Monaco for French international Benjamin Mendy".

But there's bad news for the Sky Blues in The Sun, which says that veteran Brazilian full-back Dani Alves has "snubbed" City to sign for Paris Saint-Germain. According to the French press the 34-year-old who left Barcelona for Juventus in the summer of 2016 has agreed terms with PSG after one season in Turin. The Sun says that the news will be "a bitter blow" for Guardiola, who had been confident of hiring Alves to replace the recently-departed Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna.