Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is ready to step up his pursuit of Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez with a formal move for the forward, reports The Independent.
Sanchez will only have 12 months left to run on his current Arsenal deal in the summer and contract talks have been paused until the end of the season.
Arsene Wenger has revealed he would rather let Sanchez run down the final year of his contract and join a Premier League rival at the end of next season than sell to one of them over the next few months.
However, that approach doesn’t appear a smart one and the Chelsea manager, who is due to face Wenger in the FA Cup final at the end of the month, will look to test his resolve with a summer bid.
This weekend could play a decisive factor in whether Sanchez remains at the club. Arsenal need to win and hope Liverpool or Manchester City lose on the final day of the Premier League campaign to secure a top four finish and that would mean Champions League football next season, which is what Sanchez wants.
Sanchez is the second highest rated player in the Premier League this season (7.75), while only Harry Kane has scored or assisted more goals than the Arsenal No.7 (both 33).
For more stats on Alexis Sanchez, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
