Alexis Sanchez Reportedly Made Main Chelsea Transfer Target by Antonio Conte

Chelsea have reportedly made Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez their top transfer target for the summer window.

That's according to Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian, who has stated that Blues boss Antonio Conte has made it clear he wants the Chilean ahead of the 2017-18 season. Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus are also said to be keen to secure his signature.

Sanchez's future with Arsenal is very much in doubt, with his contract set to expire in 2018. Manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that talks over an extension have been shelved until the end of the campaign.

Conte is said to be willing the Premier League leaders into testing their London rivals' resolve to keep their star man. 

"Conte has submitted to the club's recruitment team, effectively headed by the director Marina Granovskaia and technical director Michael Emenalo, a list of players he would like to sign, with Sanchez and a left-sided defender among the priorities," continued Romano.

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Although Sanchez would only have one year remaining on his current contract at Arsenal in the summer, prising him away from the Emirates Stadium would be a costly exercise. According to James Olley of the Evening Standard, the Gunners would still demand a whopping £50 million before they agreed to sell.

Losing Sanchez would be an enormous blow to Arsenal, as his influence is so profound in the final third of the field. Aside from his dazzling feet, versatility and inventiveness, he's a player who enjoys the combative side of football too, per Squawka Football:

Crucially, he's ruthless in front of goal as well. The 28-year-old has mainly been deployed as a centre-forward this season, and that extra freedom has brought the best out of him, with 18 goals and nine assists secured in the Premier League in 2016-17. 

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Sanchez's amalgamation of grit, guile and goals would make a perfect player for a Conte team. Indeed, the prospect of him linking up with the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard in an attacking triumvirate is enough to give defenders in English football's top flight sleepless nights.

As these figures from WhoScored.com illustrate, based on his performances in the Premier League this season, Sanchez compares well with some of the best attackers on the planet:

But, according to Romano, convincing Arsenal to sell will be a challenge. "Chelsea are aware that a transfer will be difficult to conclude because Arsenal would prefer not to sell to a domestic rival if they cannot persuade the Chilean to stay," the report continued.

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It wouldn't be unprecedented, though. Ashley Cole made the switch from Arsenal to their London rivals in 2006. Needless to say, the left-back was never allowed to forget the decision by the Gunners faithful, although Cole did go on to win multiple trophies with the Stamford Bridge side.

If Chelsea were to lure Sanchez away from the league leaders you sense they'd have to pay a premium. But with around £60 million banked from the sale of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG in the January window, perhaps it's a premium they can afford to pay for one of the division's brightest stars.