Alexis Sanchez is a really competitive player who wants to start every match and wants to win every possible trophy every year. While winning every trophy is not possible, challenging for them is possible and with Arsenal not able to offer Sanchez that, the Chilean looks set to leave the Gunners in the summer.
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Sanchez just has 18 months left on his current contract and Arsenal have offered him a new deal worth £180k-per-week, but the forward is demanding £250k-per-week. Even if the contract situation is solved, Arsenal has another problem to deal with as it was recently revealed that Sanchez had a bust-up with a few players and Arsene Wenger himself in training and that was the reason he was benched for the Liverpool game.
The former Barcelona star has been the centre of everything at Arsenal this season and one would wonder what Arsenal would do if they had not signed Sanchez. If Sanchez does not sign a new deal in the summer, Arsenal will be forced to sell him so that they don't lose him on a free transfer the following year. A lot of clubs including PSG, Juventus, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid have been monitoring his situation and after this recent fiasco, it looks like he will leave the club in the summer.
Here are five players who could replace Alexis Sanchez in the summer.
Marco Reus
The Borussia Dortmund attacker has been linked with Arsenal ever since Sanchez's future came into question and given his experience and his ability, which is similar to Sanchez, he would thrive at Arsenal. He is consistent in front of the goal having scored more than 20 goals in two of his last three seasons, but Arsenal will face a lot of competition for his signature. Also, with a price tag of £70 million, and Reus' persisting injury problems over the last season and this season, Arsenal might think twice before going after him.
Andre Bellotti
Arsenal has been linked with the Torino striker on a number of occasions this season and it was rumoured that Arsenal had a bid for him rejected in the January transfer window. Bellotti has certainly made a name for himself in the Serie A this season and has already scored 24 goals including a superb hat-trick over the weekend. Torino sporting president Urbano Cairo has now said that he is worth around £130 million and this fee might prove to be too much for Arsenal, but they need to spend this kind of money if they are to challenge the best clubs again.
Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette has been looking to leave Lyon for a while now and it looks like he will finally make a big-money move away from Ligue 1. The Frenchman is a proven goal scorer having scored more than 30 goals in his last four seasons at Lyon and this season he has already netted 22 times and he could cross the 30 mark once again. He said that he would love to move to Barcelona, but the chances of him getting regular first team action is unlikely and a player of his calibre would add the much-needed fire power at Arsenal. A lot of teams have set their eyes on him, so Arsenal will have to make their move fast.
Lorenzo Insigne
Lorenzo Insigne was the latest player to be linked with a move to Arsenal ever since Sanchez's future became uncertain. The Napoli forward is only 25 years old and still has time on his hands and Arsenal would be the perfect club for him to continue his development given the number of stars they have produced in the past. He has netted nine goals and 10 assists so far this season and given his pace and technical ability, he would be a perfect replacement for Sanchez. His reported asking price is £44 million and once again Arsenal will have to be quick to make a move for him as a number of clubs around Europe are after him.
Isco
The Real Madrid star has struggled to become a regular under Zinedine Zidane and is becoming really frustrated with life in Madrid. He said in a recent interview that he is open to a move in the summer and given that Arsenal have had a dealing with Real Madrid in the past, they could convince them to sell him to them. Isco is not a player similar to Sanchez and prefers to play a more central role, but his creativity and vision will go a long way at transforming Arsenal. The Spaniard is just 24 years old and should he join the Gunners, he could turn out to be a top replacement for Sanchez.
