Alexis Sanchez meets PSG chief ahead of €50m move

The Arsenal star was in Paris on Friday for talks with PSG's sporting director and chief executive ahead of a prospective €50 million move to Ligue 1

Posted Saturday, July 22, 2017 by Goal.com

Alexis Sanchez and his representatives were in Paris on Friday for meetings with Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Antero Henrique, Goal understands.

The French club are growing increasingly confident of signing the Arsenal star for a €50 million fee inclusive of add-ons following preliminary talks with the Gunners.

PSG say "nothing is done yet" regarding a move for Sanchez but the early signs from France suggest it is likely to happen.

Goal understands that PSG chief Henrique met Sanchez and his representatives at the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris from 12:00 PM UTC for talks which lasted several hours. Henrique was later filmed leaving the hotel - where PSG usually close transfer deals - in the late afternoon.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has insisted that the club's stance has not changed and their Chilean talisman will not be sold this summer, but contract talks have not progressed as hoped and Sanchez has shown no sign of committing to an extension which would mean he is available to leave on a free transfer when his deal at Emirates Stadium expires next summer.

Wenger is currently in China where Arsenal have almost completed their pre-season trip and spoke on Thursday about where Sanchez will play in the Gunners forward line next season, insisting that he will fit into the team alongside club-record summer signing Alexandre Lacazette.

Sanchez's agent Fernando Felicevich has used interest from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to increase the salary demands for his client with Pep Guardiola's side confident of signing the 28-year-old throughout the summer.

Felicevich, previously dubbed 'the king of South American football' by Forbes magazine, is regarded as a tough negotiator and his negotiation tactics were recently described as 'dishonest' by an intermediary for Brazilian club Vasco da Gama.

It's understood that Felicevich was present in the meeting at Le Royal Monceau with his business partner Matias Aldao, while PSG had their chairman and chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi representing them alongside Henrique.

Al-Khelaifi has a close relationship with Wenger and the two are in regular contact regarding football matters which sees the Frenchman take part in TV work for beIN Sports, the media network founded by the man dubbed 'the most powerful figure in French football'.

Alexis scored 24 goals in the Premier League last season and admitted while back home in Chile that it is his "dream" of playing in the Champions League - a competition that Arsenal aren't involved in this season following last campaign's fifth-placed finish.

"The truth is that the decision doesn't depend on me," said Sanchez.

"I have made my decision, but now we wait for a response from Arsenal. It depends on them, I have to wait to know what they want.

"My idea is to play and win the Champions League, it is a dream I have had since I was little."

Arsenal's stance regarding Sanchez has not changed and they were confident earlier in the week that the player would return to pre-season training at London Colney following his holidays, along with the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin, on July 30.