Arsenal Transfer News: Alexis Sanchez Update, Latest on N'Golo Kante Rumours

Juventus have confirmed Arsenal consider star forward Alexis Sanchez untouchable, all but ruling out a sale during the summer transfer window, while Chinese side Shanghai SIPG are reportedly ready to blow the Gunners and Chelsea out of the water with a transfer offer far exceeding Leicester City star N'Golo Kante's release clause.

According to Tom Dutton of the London Evening Standard, Chilean media have reported Juventus are mulling a £38 million offer for Sanchez, who has also been linked with Bayern Munich.

But the Old Lady's director Beppe Marotta has now squashed those rumours, telling El Mercurio (h/t Dutton) the Gunners have made it clear he's not for sale: “Sanchez is a great player, but Arsenal told us they have no intention of selling. Arsenal said that the Chilean attacker is non-transferable and that he is not on the market.”

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

According to Metro's Max Miller, Marotta also said Arsenal initially quoted a €40 million (roughly £34 million) price tag, a fee the Bianconeri considered “reasonable,” but when Juventus responded to that figure, the Gunners took Sanchez off the market.

Sanchez plied his trade in Italy with Udinese before moving to Barcelona and eventually Arsenal, where he has been the team's top forward since 2014. Per WhoScored.com, he has scored 29 goals in the last two Premier League seasons combined.

At the Emirates Stadium he's mainly used as a winger, and while he's found plenty of success out wide over the years, he has always done more damage when paired with a striker in a more central role. It's the role he usually plays with the Chilean national team, and how he established himself as a star with Udinese, as you can see in this video:

Juventus relied heavily on their 3-5-2 formation last year and following the departure of Alvaro Morata, the club is looking for a replacement. Sanchez would be a fantastic fit stylistically, but he would likely prove too expensive should Arsenal consider a sale.

And as their top attacking option, he won't be readily available. The Gunners don't have many options behind the Chilean, and striker Olivier Giroud isn't exactly known for his consistency in front of goal―the Gunners will need Sanchez in their bid to win next year's Premier League title.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mirror (h/t Metro's James Goldman) reports Shanghai SIPG are willing to pay as much as £35 million for Leicester star Kante, who has a £20 million release clause in his current deal.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

The 25-year-old was one of the top breakout performers of the 2015-16 Premier League season, and speculation linking him with both Arsenal and Chelsea has been almost constant since the end of the campaign. Should he decide to leave, those clubs would be the clear favourites for his signature, explaining why Shanghai's offer is so high.

Kante's whirlwind season has carried over into the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, where he'll take on Portugal with France in the final on Sunday, and the Daily Mirror's Liam Canning thinks he deserves to cap off his wonderful campaign with the title:

The Chinese league has become an attractive destination for star footballers over the last 12 months, but the majority of stars who have spurned European teams for the huge wages in the Far East were South American―players who already ply their trade far from home.

Europeans have yet to follow suit, and given Kante's age, Leicester's spot in next year's UEFA Champions League and the fact he was a virtual unknown just a year ago, he's not likely to take Shanghai up on their offer.

Kante's expected to stay with the Foxes for now, and if he does leave the club, it will be for a top team like Chelsea or Arsenal, who will offer wages close to what the likes of Shanghai SIPG would.