Manchester City are willing to smash their club record to make Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez their player by Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Arsene Wenger has been insistent over Sanchez, but following talks the Chilean has again emphasised his desire to quit the club and join Pep Guardiola at The Etihad.

The 29-year-old has less than 12-months left on his current deal at The Emirates and has made it clear he will not sign a new deal.

City have already held talks with Arsenal but a £50million deal was rebuffed – but now City are ready to go back and I am told could offer as much as £80million cash for Sanchez.

Players going to Arsenal have been discussed with Sergio Aguero, Fabian Delph and Raheem Sterling all parts of conversations – but ideally City would not want to lose any members of their first-team squad, hence why they could make the mega cash offer.

If Sterling was to be involved, City have told Arsenal they would want money and Sanchez for the England winger – and it remains to be seen if that would be agreed.

City have been confident all summer that they can land Sanchez, and Guardiola is desperate to land him as he sees him as crucial part of this season’s challenge.

We spoke to PaddyPower about the market around with Sanchez – they are odds-on at 3/10 that he joins Manchester City this week.

“We are now odds on for Sanchez to go to City, cutting him in after a lacklustre display over the weekend, and amid rumours of a cash plus player bid being tabled,” spokesman Lee Price told TheGamblingTimes.com.

“For the first time in weeks, that means we now make it more likelier for the Chilean to leave Arsenal than stay.”

Football INDEX is a stockmarket game where players, known as Traders, take a position on the “future success” of footballers with real money – CLICK HERE to play and start winning, and take advantage of your £20 cashback only with TheGamblingTimes.