Manchester United have pulled out all the stops to surge ahead of Manchester City in the race to sign Alexis Sanchez.

While the Citizens have been unwilling to pay Arsenal more than the £20m they offered and have refused the Chilean’s agent fees of £5m as well, United have been far more accommodating.

According to Sky Sports, the Old Trafford outfit are prepared to part with £35m to sign the 29-year-old.

With United also offering Sanchez £18m a year in wages, the switch now appears imminent.

The Reds also gained the advantage because of their willingness to include Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the deal as the Gunners look for replacements.

After Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday with Sanchez absent from the squad entirely, Arsene Wenger revealed about the transfer: “It could happen today or tomorrow or not at all.

“That’s why I didn’t want to travel with him today for him to go somewhere else. Alexis would have played but this is a difficult period for him. He has always been committed until now.

“He could have moved today or yesterday or not, but it will be decided in the next 48 hours. He is on standby so I decided not to bring him today. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to play.”