Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that a proposed deal for Alexis Sanchez to move to Manchester United this month is "likely" to happen.
The two sides are thought to be in advanced discussions over a deal that would see Sanchez depart for Old Trafford and Henrikh Mkhitaryan move in the opposite direction.
Personal terms on the Sanchez side of the deal are said to be arranged, but the transfer of Mkhitaryan is thought to be the bottleneck as the player's agent attempts to negotiate an increase in his wages.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference this morning, Wenger insisted that he would continue to play Sanchez while he remains an Arsenal player, including in Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace.
"That is a story where you are well documented in the media so I do not have a lot to add to that," he told reporters. "It can happen, it can as well not happen. If it doesn't happen he will play on Saturday.
"I worked on transfers for 30 years so it is likely to happen but at any moment or minute things can break down. As long as it's not over the line you have to accept it may not happen. These kind of things are not guaranteed."
Asked about Mkhitaryan's proposed move to the Emirates, he added: "It's a possibility it's because I like the player. We played many times against him when he was at Dortmund. He appreciated the quality of our games. The wages would not be a problem."
Sanchez has a hit-rate of 60 goals in 122 games for Arsenal since his 2014 switch from Barcelona.
Neil Wilkes
