Manchester United Transfer News: Alexis Sanchez Latest Amid Real Madrid Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly preparing a £53 million offer for Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez after the Chile superstar was linked with a move to Real Madrid. 

Don Balon (h/t James Phillips of Daily Star) said the attacker will not consider joining the Galacticos because of his past with Barcelona but sees a move to Old Trafford as "a big step in his professional career."

The newspaper also reported manager Louis van Gaal has already alerted Sanchez about his intention to purchase him in the summer, in what would be a crushing blow to Gunners coach Arsene Wenger's future plans. 

The Chilean joined the Emirates club for £35 million from Barca in 2014, per Phillips, and hit the ground running in England, becoming one of the league's standout talents. 

The forward has featured 47 times in the Premier League since making the switch from Spain and scored 22 goals, according to WhoScored.com. His 0.47 strike rate makes him one of the most deadly wide players in the European game, and United have identified him as the solution to their attacking issues.

The Red Devils have stayed in touch with the front-runners at the top of the league comfortably but have struggled to find the net on a number of occasions. 

Wayne Rooney has lost his edge in the striker's role—as age starts to hamper his speed and precision—and as Anthony Martial looks like he's developing into one of the world's best strikers, Van Gaal needs a player who can add a threat from wide.

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Former United player Teddy Sheringham believes the manager is responsible for Rooney's demise, as quoted by ESPN FC's Kevin Palmer:

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Rooney will score goals if he is given the right kind of set-up to work in. He has proved that time and again down the years. 

All I would say is playing up front on your own is very tough. Not many players can pull that off successfully. I certainly wouldn't have fancied trying to play that role and always had a partner alongside me. 

Van Gaal is trying something different at Man Utd and it is not quite suiting Wayne Rooney at the moment. You have a top-quality player there, so you would like to think there is a way of finding a system that will suit him. It is up to the manager to work that out.

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Martial has been used on the left, to the bewilderment of many United fans, but the capture of Sanchez would allow the French prodigy to develop as a centre-forward. 

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Louis van Gaal has proclaimed he needs additional speed, skill and threat from the wider attacking areas, as the Manchester Evening News' Stuart Mathieson reported: “We still need players with more creativity and pace on the wings. That I have said five months ago, three months ago and now I am saying it again, but we need that, so we are still in a process.” 

The United boss has put his faith in youngster Jesse Lingard to perform on the left, but an individual such as Sanchez would give the Old Trafford giants a psychological threat, picking a proven world talent on their team sheet. 

Sanchez returned to the side after a busy summer playing for his country and took a few games to find his stride before bursting into life in October. The forward's form was recognised, as highlighted by the PFA:

Van Gaal's rebuilding, after former boss David Moyes' tenure, has been a steady, if not spectacular, process. The big-name signings of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao dramatically failed, but the squad has seen new heroes emerge in the likes of Martial and Chris Smalling. 

United need a world-class attacker in their ranks now as it becomes apparent that Rooney's best years are behind him.

The Merseysider has done a good job at captaining the team and being Van Gaal's representative on the pitch, but it will not be long before he doesn't warrant a starting role. 

Sanchez is an experienced player who still has his best years ahead of him. A sum of £53 million is not beyond a club like United, but the battle with Arsenal could be a bloody one if they want to hold on to one of their most influential players.