Arsenal Transfer News: Alexis Sanchez, Granit Xhaka, Henrikh Mkhitaryan Rumours

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez will reportedly snub a move to Real Madrid for now, while Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka is again being linked with the Gunners. Meanwhile, rumours that Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan was house hunting in London are reportedly false. 

According to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t the Daily Star's Rhys Turrell), Sanchez has decided against a move to the Spanish capital at the end of this season, and he's set to stay in north London until the summer of 2017. At that point, he'll “reassess his options.”

The 27-year-old is one of Arsenal's top attacking options and has scored eight goals and assisted on four more in the Premier League this season, per WhoScored.com.

According to OptaJoe, he has struggled at times this season, and those struggles likely opened the door for transfer speculation:

Per Turrell, manager Arsene Wenger recently gave an update on ongoing contract negotiations with Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, and he doesn't doubt the pair will stay at the club: “I am confident. Yes, they have a two-year contract left, and there's been nothing done yet. They look happy, when I talk to them they are happy, and they want to extend their contracts so I don't think it is a problem.”

The Gunners sit 11 points behind Leicester City in the Premier League standings, and their once-promising campaign appears set to finish without any trophies. But the club will be ambitious entering the summer and next season, and in order to do better than in 2015-16, they'll need to keep hold of their top stars.

Sanchez never seemed likely to move, and while Madrid remains one of the top transfer destinations for star players, Los Blancos have other options. Per Turrell, Chelsea's Eden Hazard continues to be linked with a move to La Liga.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph reported Arsenal want to increase competition in the midfield heading into next season by adding starlet Gedion Zelalem to the senior squad and moving for Xhaka.

The Swiss international has been linked with the Gunners for months, and per Wilson, Arsenal coach Steve Rowley has been scouting Xhaka personally. The Monchengladbach midfielder will reportedly set the club back £35 million.

DW Sports' Alex Chaffer reserved some special praise for Xhaka and his partner Mo Dahoud:

The 23-year-old is one of the most versatile midfield options in Europe, but he does his best work when he's paired with a physical holding midfielder who covers for him while he distributes the ball.

Per WhoScored.com, he's averaging over 2.5 tackles and interceptions per match in the Bundesliga, while completing more than 85 percent of his passes.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

While he's not as technically gifted as Santi Cazorla, he could fill a similar role at the Emirates Stadium. Cazorla turned 31 years old in 2015 and has been plagued by injuries this season―it may not be a bad idea to start planning for the future.

Bleacher Report's James McNicholas thinks he and Mkhitaryan would be two fantastic signings:

The Borussia Dortmund star has also been linked with a move to Arsenal, and the Sun's Ken Lawrence recently reported the Armenian was looking for a house in the English capital.

But according to Sport Bild (h/t the Daily Star's Alex Harris), it was his sister, Monika, who works for UEFA, who is planning a move to London, not Mkhitaryan himself.

The attacking midfielder in enjoying a great season with Dortmund, doing a fantastic job of setting up the attack and creating chances, per WhoScored.com:

That kind of production will always lead to transfer chatter, and with his contract set to run out at the end of next season, a move could be on the cards, per Lawrence.

But Dortmund have already offered the Armenia international a new deal, and according to Harris, Die Schwarzgelben are confident he'll sign.

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