Monaco were said to want to secure Paris St-Germain winger Angel di Maria as part of the deal that took Kylian Mbappe to the French capital. But that was purportedly being held up because the French Football Federation were still scrutinising the terms of Mbappe’s season-long loan move to PSG, which includes a binding option to buy the teenager for £165.7 million next summer.

Sanchez – who is in Chile for his country’s World Cup qualifier against Paraguay - is understood to have been left dismayed by the situation and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger now faces a battle to try to get the 28 year-old back on side.

Manchester United managed to persuade David de Gea to sign a new long-term contract in 2015, weeks after a proposed move to Real Madrid collapsed on transfer deadline day, but it would take a dramatic about-turn on Sanchez’s part to sign a new deal with Arsenal now.

City could make a fresh offer for Sanchez in January or wait to sign him as a free agent next summer when the striker, whose earning power would be huge, would have a host of leading clubs to pick from. Pep Guardiola, the City manager, could also consider another move for Evans in January, although his failure to land the 29 year-old now could prove costly if captain Vincent Kompany suffers a recurrence of his long-standing injury problems.