Alexis Sanchez to sign four-year Arsenal contract after €38m agreement

Arsenal have agreed a four-year contract with Alexis Sanchez and have paid Barcelona a whopping €38m to close a blockbuster summer transfer which will be officially announced either late tonight or tomorrow morning, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.

Gunners fans will probably not believe that Sanchez is an Arsenal player until they see him decked out in red and white outside the Emirates holding Gunnersaurus' hand, but Sport is a Barcelona-based publication well placed to report the news that the Chilean is set be the Premier League's next big superstar, one who will lead Arsene Wenger's trophy charge from the front next season.

Prepare to be excited

Sanchez has decided to leave Barcelona after failing to convince new manager Luis Enrique that he would feature in a potentially devastating attack that could feature Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, despite scoring a brilliant 19 goals in La Liga last season.

Barca are desperate to complete the signing of Luis Suarez this week and have reluctantly accepted that Sanchez will have to leave to raise funds they can put towards a whopping £75m move, sparking a bidding war that Arsenal look to have won.

Rival interest

Juventus, Manchester United and most prominently Liverpool have all held talks with Sanchez's representatives following his strong performances at the World Cup, but he asked Barca for a move to London during crunch talks over his future last Friday and his wish has now been granted.

Sanchez favoured a move to the English capital because he reportedly believes Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will give him star billing, something he craved desperately at Barca but never got, despite proving a clinical finisher with the clever movement to cause defenders nightmares in the final third.

Wenger means business

Gunners boss Wenger has now moved to land a marquee signing for the second successive summer and will pay Sanchez a salary of €6m-a-season, with the South American star's arrival very much on a par with the £42.4m switch that brought Mesut Ozil from La Liga to the Emirates last year on deadline day.

Wenger has decided to get this deal done much quicker though and finally acknowledged that Arsenal were clearly short of strength in depth across all attacking positions last season, with an improved Olivier Giroud largely left to lead the line on his own.

Moving for Sanchez means Arsenal could have a frighteningly fast strikeforce featuring the 25-year-old and Theo Walcott next season, with the likes of Giroud, Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to provide support.

Arsenal definitely still need a new goalkeeper, holding midfielder and at least one central defender added to their ranks ahead of next season, but when the Sanchez deal is signed, sealed and delivered it will represent a serious statement of intent that the Gunners want to challenge for every top honour moving forward.