Gunners contract rebel Alexis Sanchez has asked for a whooping £400,000 a week wage packet to stay put at Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have completed the signing of French striker Alexandre Lacazette form Lyon for a club record transfer fee of £52million.
Lacazette has signed a five-year contract with the Gunners on and will take home a wage packet of £150,000 a week.
Alexis’ current contract with the Gunners is set to run out in 2018 and he is yet to sign a contract extension.
The Chilean currently takes home £140,000-a-week and sources reveal that he is now playing hardball with Wenger in order to squeeze a mega-money deal out of Arsenal.
The Gunners had offered Sanchez a new deal – a two-year extension and a wage packet of £275,000-a-week to keep him at the club until 2020 – but the Chilean is holding out for more.
The former Barcelona man has now demanded a mammoth wage packet of for £400k-per-week — nearly £21m a year in order to stay at Arsenal.
Wenger has roped in Lacazette for a mammoth £52million transfer fee – which has now eclipsed his record signing of Mesut Ozil, worth £42.5million.
Lacazette has joined his fellow Frenchmen Laurent Koscielny, Francis Coquelin and Olivier Giroud, who has been heavily linked with a move to Everton this summer.
The 26-year-old said: “Throughout my childhood, thanks to Thierry Henry and other French players, I dreamed of playing for this club.”
“I like the fact the manager has been here for a while as it shows it is a stable club.”
“There are also a few French players here, which makes it easier to settle in.”
“Arsenal play the best football in England so I really wanted to come.”
Lacazette will travel with the team on Sunday for a pre-season tour of Australia and the Far East.
Lacazette will join the Gunners squad will travel to Australia and and the Far East for a pre-season campaign.
Boss Wenger added: “He is a very efficient finisher and will help us challenge at the top level.”
Sources reveal that Sanchez is holding out for a higher wage packet and has also demanded a winning mentality and more ambition from the Arsenal hierarchy.
But Arsenal have been left stunned by Sanchez’s wage demands.
Bayern Munich and Manchester City were at loggerheads to secure the services of Sanchez.
But the Bundesliga giants have now cooled down their interest in the Chilean leaving Manchester City in pole position to sign him this summer.
Cash-rich Ligue 1 giants PSG have also shown huge interest in the Sanchez.
Sanchez displayed incredible form last term – with 30 goals to his name in all competitions and also guided Arsenal to FA Cup triumph. And now Manchester United and Chelsea have also shown interest in securing the signatures of the Chilean this summer.
FootTheBall had reported that Man City are confident that a £50m offer would be enough to tempt the Gunners and if the Chilean wants to move away then it would be difficult for Arsenal to tie him down.
