Alexis Sanchez says goodbye to Arsenal team-mates ahead of Man Utd switch

The Chilean was withArsenalin their team hotel as they prepared for this afternoon’s clash with Crystal Palace (3pm).

However, Sanchez received a phone call shortly before 11pm last night and said his farewells before leaving

.The 29-year-old had been called up to the squad to face the Eagles as the 19th man and there was a possibility Arsene Wenger could have named him on the bench.

But all signs now point to a deal being completed over the weekend, especially after Henrikh Mkhitaryan appeared to have cleared out hisMan Utdlocker yesterday

The Armenian is being used as a makeweight in the deal, which now appears to be all-but completed.

TheMirror report that the two clubs are preparing to do two separate deals.

Sanchez is set to move for £35million, with Express Sport understanding that he will earn £500,000-a-week in wages.

Meanwhile, Mkhitaryan’s fee is yet to be revealed.

             

          If you have the chance to buy a 

          special player in special

           circumstances – a player who .   

           you would try to buy in the 

           summer anyway – then that’s

           a special situation and you try

           to do it.

Jose Mourinho speaking about signing Alexis Sanchez.

The deal had slowed down in recent days as the 28-year-old negotiated his wage with the Gunners.

But it now seems that everything has been ticked off, pending an official announcement.

United boss Jose Mourinho has defended his approach for Sanchez, which was criticised by ManchesterCity boss Pep Guardiola earlier this week.

“The team is lacking nothing,” Mourinho said.

“It is not the point that we are lacking something or we desperately need something. It is just thinking about the improvement of the team in the future.“

Normally I say the idea of the mid-season transfer market is to help clubs that didn’t work well in the previous summer. 

“That’s why we don’t like to do business in January, because it shows we didn’t give our best, we didn’t try our best. That is not the case.

“But if you have the chance to buy a special player in special circumstances – a player who you would try to buy in the summer anyway – then that’s a special situation andyou try to do it.

If it happens, we are sure it is good for thefuture of the team.

”Meanwhile, Arsenal are also edging closer to signing Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabon international was left out of the squad which drew 1-1 with Hertha Berlin last night and he looks highly likely to move to the Emirates Stadium.

  SOURCE : EXPRESS