Arsenal's £45 Million Target Has Been Spotted In London

Arsenal fans may have already had enough of the January transfer window, what with all the news now being dominated by Alexis Sanchez leaving the Emirates Stadium, this month, but there might finally be something for Gunners fans to get excited about.

Sanchez's impending departure, whether it's to Manchester City or United, means Arsenal will need a replacement for the Chilean forward, who has arguably been the most important part of Arsene Wenger's team over the last four years.

And said replacement has been spotted in London.

Bordeaux's Brazilian winger Malcolm is believed to be Wenger's number one choice to replace Sanchez and a member of the agency who represent the 20-year-old has been spotted in the capital ahead of a reported £45 million move, according to Metro.

The youngster was reported to have been receiving English lessons, last week and now looks closer than ever to securing his move to the Gunners, although whether he arrives in the current window or the summer is dependent on Sanchez's decision over his own future.

Manchester City were favourites to sign the former Barcelona forward, who is keen to link back up with Pep Guardiola, who he played under at Barca, but City have now apparently backed out of a deal for the 29-year-old, unwilling to pay more than £20 million for the forward who is out of contract in the summer.

Sanchez's options, then, are to either join United this month, who are reportedly willing to match Arsenal's £35 million asking price or use Henrikh Mhkitaryan in a part exchange deal or he can wait another few months and join City on a free transfer.

Arsenal's original plan had been to replace the Chilean with Thomas Lemar from Monaco, but a £90 million move for the young French winger fell through at the last minute on transfer deadline day, last August, meaning Sanchez's original £60 million move to City subsequently fell through as a result.

Bordeaux themselves would prefer a summer move for Malcolm with club president Stephane Martin saying, "He will not leave this winter. Even if we are ready in the process? I do not see what would be the interest of a club to do that."

Expect this one to run on for a while longer.

(H/T Metro)

Topics: Football News, Bordeaux, Football, Alexis Sanchez, Premier League, Arsenal

Joe Baiamonte

Northerner. Assistant Editor of SPORTbible. Studied Journalism and Broadcasting in a portakabin on a car park of Salford University for three years. Believes football peaked with Serie A in the '90s and strong-arms pro wrestling references into as many articles as possible. Neymar once took 50 euros off me during a game of poker.

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