Arsène Wenger says he expects Alexis Sánchez to leave Arsenal in the “next 48 hours”, with Manchester United having emerged as the forward’s preferred destination.

The manager omitted Sánchez from the squad he took to Bournemouth for their 2-1 defeat on Sunday, although he remained a major talking point.

Wenger explained he did not select Sánchez because of the knife-edged nature of his situation and suggested his transfer could even have happened during the buildup to the Bournemouth game – a distraction he could not have tolerated.

Wenger described Sánchez as having been on standby and the Chilean did not travel to the south coast with the rest of the Arsenal squad on Saturday.

United have indicated a readiness to outbid Manchester City for Sánchez and to offer him more lucrative personal terms, and they have turned the 29-year-old’s head.

He had looked certain to join City and enjoy a reunion with Pep Guardiola, the manager under whom he played for one season at Barcelona.

City almost got him for £60m last summer and they have indicated a willingness to pay £20m for him this month. But United have moved ahead of their crosstown rivals and there is a confidence at Old Trafford that they are poised to pull off a coup. City are not willing to raise their offer.

DAILYTRUST