Sanchez travels north to finalise deal

"I didn't take him because there is a question of him moving to Manchester United and you cannot drive up north and as well play football," said the Arsenal manager after Alexis Sanchez was left out of Arsenal's squad for Saturday's 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan travelled to London on Saturday and will undergo a medical ahead of the swap deal that will put an end to weeks of speculation and negotiations, while Alexis Sanchez travelled in the opposite direction to discuss the terms of his contract at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho remains confident that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will finalise a deal for the former Barcelona man to provide him with options up front, while Wenger insisted an agreement must be reached for Mkhitaryan first.

The long-awaited exchange is set to be officially announced in the next 48 hours, once the details are finalised and Mkhitaryan and Sanchez put pen to paper at their respective clubs.