Manchester United news: Alexis Sanchez ‘biggest mercenary in football’ blasts Arsenal legend Martin Keown
Gunners icon does not hold back as he slams the Chileans decision to move to Old Trafford after seemingly having heart set on joining Man City
ALEXIS SANCHEZ has been labelled "the biggest mercenary in football" by Arsenal legend Martin Keown.
The Chilean forward is on the verge of leaving The Emirates to become one of the highest-earning Premier League stars at Manchester United.
The Red Devils have blown their rivals out of the water after Pep Guardiola's men deemed the soon-to-be out of contract attacker too expensive.
That is despite the fact that Sanchez almost signed for them in August before the move collapsed on deadline day.
He rejected a new contract worth £300,000-a-week to stay with Arsenal, and Keown is now convinced that the star is just motivated by money.
And the 51-year-old ex-England international did not help back in condemning Sanchez.
Writing in his column for the , Keown said: “Sanchez has got to be the biggest mercenary in football.
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“Manchester City have wanted to sign Sanchez since the summer and, if no deal is done in January, they will be waiting for him at the end of the season.
“City would be the natural place for Sanchez to go to develop his football. He has worked with Pep Guardiola before.
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“But for Sanchez, this is clearly not about going to the best team, working with Guardiola and taking his game to another level.
“He has probably thought that he will not get a better offer if he waits until the summer.
“So he might as well take the best deal on offer now. It has been all about the money.”
Sanchez is not the only Arsenal player who has given Arsene Wenger a headache over the past year.
German winger Mesut Ozil is also out of contract at the end of the campaign and has so far been unable to agree an extension.
And Keown thinks both men have been holding the Gunners to ransom.
He added: “Ozil and Sanchez have held the club to ransom in so many ways — not just financially.
“It has affected the group. Their team-mates are thinking, ‘Why doesn’t anybody want to stay at Arsenal?’
“Last season, those two players were able to use the uncertainty surrounding Arsene Wenger’s future as an excuse.
“Yet since Wenger signed his two-year contract, Ozil and Sanchez have still not signed.
“When I was at the club, the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were superstars but we were still made to feel special as well. There was never a feeling that they were more important than we were.”
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