Trickster: Barcelona’s Chiliean forward Alexis Sanchez (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Arsenal have identified Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez as an alternative to David Villa in their hunt for new attackers this summer.

The Chilean forward has struggled at Barca this season – managing just three goals, and with it looking increasingly likely that Villa will remain at the Nou Camp for at least another year; the Gunners have allegedly turned their attention towards Sanchez.

Reports claim Arsenal have already enquired about the 24-year-old, who joined the Spanish giants from Udinese for £22million, and Barca are expecting the north London outfit to firm up their interest with a summer bid.

Inter Milan are also paying close attention to Sanchez’s situation, while Manchester United could enter the race after narrowly missing out on the live-wire forward back in 2011 when he opted to sign for Barca.


Not enough space for both: Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez celebrates with his David Villa (Picture: EPA)

Sanchez’s former sporting director at Udinese, Fabrizio Larini, reckons the highly-rated international would thrive at the Gunners, saying: ‘Sanchez needs to play the ball on the ground, just like Arsenal. That would be his ideal game.



‘I do not know his current situation at the Spanish club. But his fitness problems have definitely limited his performances.

‘The only thing that these teams will have to consider is that he is a player who needs freedom to play his way. In teams that have particularly rigid patterns of play he might have a few problems.’