Alexis Sanchez transfer shock: Man Utd target SIGNED Man City contract(Watch Video)

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Sanchez looks to be heading north to United in a cash-plus-player swap with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The Old Trafford giants are ready to pay £25m for Sanchez and throw the Armenian ace into the bargain too. But it could have been VERY different had the Arsenal star completed a switch to City months ago. A deadline day switch to the Etihad collapsed despite the Gunners accepting a £60m bid for his services when they failed to land Thomas Lemar from Monaco as a replacement. But it’s now emerged just how close Sanchez came to joining City. Goal.com claim Sanchez actually SIGNED a contract with the Manchester giants on August 31. But they add the documentation was never sent off to the FA as the Lemar to Arsenal deal collapsed.

Sanchez is now expected to move to the red half of Manchester, although Mkhitaryan’s deliberation over a switch south to Arsenal is holding up the transfer. His agent Mino Raiola said yesterday: “Sanchez is part of Miki’s deal. Its not the other way round. Without him, Sanchez simply cannot go to United. “His problems at Manchester United are purely football related. He has no problem with the manager. It’s not personal and he has two-and-a-half years left on his contract. “This is a great deal for Arsenal. They need better, younger players and they have to invest. So it’s up to Arsenal to put a deal in place and right now a deal is a long way off.”