Alexis Sanchez fears Arsenal will block him moving to Manchester City – leaving Bayern Munich as his only escape route.

Arsenal are determined not to sell to a Premier League rival even though City are prepared to trump Bayern’s £40million offer for Sanchez and give him a £280,000-a-week contract.

Sanchez, 28, has one year left on his current £130,000-a-week contract at the Emirates and has been offered in excess of £275,000-a-week to stay at Arsenal.

It is likely to become this summer’s biggest transfer saga but Arsenal are desperate to play hardball to stop him going to City, a move that would infuriate their fans.

City are willing to pay £50million as Pep Guardiola wants to make him part of a £250million summer revamp of the Etihad squad.

City have already spent £78million to land two of their top targets in Ederson and Bernardo Silva and will splash out again to buy Kyle Walker and a left-back.

They have now made Sanchez their No1 priority and believe he wants to come to the Etihad but are fully aware of Arsenal’s reluctance to do business.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has already insisted they could be willing to allow Sanchez run down his contract and leave for free next year rather than sell to City or Chelsea.

Arsenal still have not given up on keeping Sanchez who was their top scorer last season with 22 goals and they have offered him and fellow contract rebel Mesut Ozil mega-money deals.

Bayern have already sounded out Sanchez’s representatives but the German giants fear that he would prefer to stay in the Premier League and are losing hope.

NAN