Alexis Sanchez wage demands forced Manchester City out of deal, says Pep Guardiola
City manager claims he is unwilling to match £500,000 weekly wage on offer at Manchester United for the Arsenal forward
Pep Guardiola has suggested Manchester City gave up on trying to sign Alexis Sanchez because of the player’s high wage demands.
Sanchez looked set to leave Arsenal for the Etihad Stadium until Premier League leaders City ended their pursuit on Monday, leaving the way clear for second-placed Manchester United to move in.
The Chile forward has agreed a four-and-a-half year contract at Old Trafford, worth a reported basic weekly wage of £365,000 (US$506,000) with image rights and bonuses taking that above £500,000.
City’s highest-earning players, by comparison, are on around £220,000 a week, and Guardiola did not feel that offering a significantly higher wage to a new signing would benefit the squad as a whole.
The City manager was also unsure about bringing in Sanchez, whom he worked with at Barcelona, mid-season; having failed to secure a deal last August he would have preferred to wait until the summer, when the player’s Arsenal contract was set to expire.
