Alexis Sanchez Drops Chelsea Hint, Wants London Stay If He Departs Arsenal

Star Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez may have opened the door to a transfer move to Chelsea, telling reporters he loves the city of London and would like to keep playing in the British capital for a winning team.

The Chile international made the comments at a press event in Santiago, per Metro's Sean Kearns:

"

I am happy in London and I hope to finish my contract at Arsenal.

I want to stay in a winning team and keep playing in the same city. I want to play in a team that has aspirations.

I’m 28 years old, I still have a lot ahead of me. I am a player who takes great care of himself.

"

Chelsea are on the verge of winning the Premier League title in their first season under manager Antonio Conte, while Arsenal sit outside of the top four after a difficult period. Sanchez's future has been a hot topic all year long, as the former Barcelona man has yet to sign a new contract.

According to the report, Arsenal "are resigned" to losing Sanchez during the summer, with his current contract set to run out next season. Chelsea has been mentioned as a possible destination, while Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be interested.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

The Gunners would likely prefer not to sell to the Blues, a direct competitor and fierce rival in the British capital. In a perfect world, he would stay at Arsenal in the long term and sign his new deal.

But an extension doesn't seem likely at this point. The Chilean's future has seemed murky at best since the UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich. Per the report, he was dropped for the match against Liverpool after an altercation with manager Arsene Wenger, and his body language has been consistently negative.

As reported by BeIN Sports (h/t Mattias Karen of ESPN FC), Wenger has already confirmed negotiations won't resume until summer.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Sanchez's insistence that he wants to stay in London could be a bargaining chip for the Gunners in negotiations, but the forward made it very clear he expects the Gunners to put a winning team around him. If Wenger and Co. can't do that in a hurry, a move to the Blues could well happen.

These comments might just be a simple message for the Gunners, but they will surely give Chelsea fans reason for optimism as well.