Why Manchester City must seal a deal for Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez this summer

Manchester City produced an attacking masterclass to brush aside struggling Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side knew they could heap the pressure on the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal with victory in the early kick-off, and they did just that thanks to goals from David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, and Nicolas Otamendi at the Etihad Stadium.

City’s win, their third in five Premier League matches, means they extended their lead over neighbours United in fifth to four points after they went down 2-0 at Arsenal, meaning that Guardiola’s side are in pole position to secure qualification into next season’s Champions League.

The Citizens have champions Leicester, West Brom, and Watford to play between now and the end of the season as they look to seal a top four finish, and although the season is far from over, there has been speculation building about who Guardiola may look to sign this summer.

And one man they’ve been linked with in recent times is Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, scorer of 18 Premier League goals this season.

The 28-year-old has been in sparkling form for Arsene Wenger’s side this term, adding nine assists to his 18 league goals, but has yet to sign a contract extension at the Emirates Stadium, with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season.

And speculation has been building about where he could end in the summer should no deal materialise with Arsenal, with City one of many sides reportedly interested in the Chile international.

And it’s a deal Guardiola simply must get done in the upcoming transfer window if his City team are to sustain a Premier League title challenge next season.

That’s because Sanchez has proven, throughout his spell in England but most notably this season, that he is one of the best players in the division.

The 28-year-old moved to North London back in 2014 and immediately set about making his mark in England, netting 25 goals in just 52 games for Wenger’s men in his first campaign, before adding 17 last time out.

Yet it has been this term, which has seen him take on a more advanced role, where Sanchez has been at his absolute best.

His tally of 18 goals and nine assists is second behind Everton’s Romelu Lukaku in terms of most contributions this term, and when you consider that the next highest at Arsenal is Mesut Ozil with 13, it somewhat demonstrates that Sanchez has carried the Gunners at times this season.

And those efforts has come in an Arsenal team that haven’t always been firing on all cylinders this season, with some of those goals Sanchez having to create for himself, so put him in a City team with the pace of Sterling and Leroy Sane, and creative ability of De Bruyne and Silva, and he could be even better.

More importantly though, certainly from Guardiola’s point of view, he has worked with the Chile international before, having spent the 2011/12 season together at Barcelona, and when he signed him at the Nou Camp, City boss Guardiola remarked about his incredible work ethic in doing defensive duties.

And this is where he would be perfect for City.

Guardiola obviously wants his frontmen to have that willingness to defend as well as an insatiable appetite to get forward – that’s why Gabriel Jesus, a 19-year-old who won’t stop running, got the nod ahead of one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen, Sergio Aguero, when he joined the club in January.

Sanchez is very much like that, be it from the central role upfront or from a wide position, he will work extremely hard in the defensive aspect of the game, as we’ve seen during his time at Arsenal. He’s tailor-made for Guardiola’s City.

Above all else though, Guardiola quite simply has to deliver the goods next season.

He has, throughout this season, focused on getting through it ahead of next term, be it in his own managerial learning process of English football, strengthening the side, or getting rid of the deadwood – it has all been about building for next season.

And he’ll need players like Sanchez to bridge that gap to Chelsea and Tottenham who, at the moment, are comfortably the best two teams in the division, and are streets ahead of everyone else.

Guardiola will be under pressure given his incredible career thus far and huge emphasis on the 2017/18 campaign to get results, sustain a title challenge, and perform consistently in Europe.

Signing a player of the calibre of Sanchez would certainly help him achieve those goals.