Manchester City 'to make formal £35m bid for Alexis Sanchez'

Manchester City will reportedly make an official £35m bid for Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez in the coming days.

Sanchez is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium at the end of the season and is reportedly desperate to leave this month, having missed out on a move to the Etihad last summer.

Arsenal remain reluctant to lose the Chilean, but are thought to be holding out for a bid of £40m rather than losing him on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

Reports now claim that City will test the Gunners' resolve with a formal bid for the 29-year-old, who has scored 80 goals in 165 appearances for Arsenal.

City had initially hoped to wait until the summer to sign Sanchez, but an injury to Gabriel Jesus and possible competition from Paris Saint-Germain have convinced the Premier League leaders to bring their plans forward.

Sanchez himself is set on leaving this month and is even willing to forego a signing-on fee of up to £25m in order to secure the move before the current transfer window ends.