Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Alexis Sanchez, Raheem Sterling

Manchester City were reportedly ready to pay Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez a signing-on fee of £8 million had his move to the club gone through late in the summer transfer window.

As Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star Sunday reported, City were close to getting their man, though the transfer was scrapped when Arsenal were unable to secure a replacement for the Chile international.

Hetherington suggested that as well as the £8 million, Sanchez would have been paid a basic weekly salary of £275,000, with the potential for an extra £50,000 every week. "Sanchez...is still expected to join City next season as he is in the final year of his contract at the Emirates," Hetherington reported.

As noted in the Daily Star Sunday, Arsenal pulled the plug on the transfer after a move for AS Monaco's Thomas Lemar fell through.

The Daily Mirror's John Cross believes the Gunners should be given credit for keeping Sanchez at the Emirates Stadium:

Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Arsenal should have taken the money on offer for their No. 7, especially with his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign:

It will be interesting to see how Sanchez responds to his move's collapse. Speaking with beIN Sports (h/t James Benge of the Evening Standard), manager Arsene Wenger said the forward is "100 per cent committed" to the Gunners. Consequently, it would be a big surprise if he is not in the starting XI when Arsenal take on Bournemouth on Saturday in the Premier League.

That's vital for Arsenal, as Sanchez is an outstanding footballer. The fact City were willing to part with so much money to get him is testament to that talent.

Raheem Sterling Assured over Future

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

According to Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror, Manchester City have made it clear to their winger Raheem Sterling he has a long-term future at the Etihad Stadium.

There was speculation linking Sterling with a move to Arsenal as a makeweight in the proposed deal for Sanchez. But Mullock reported that "sporting director Txiki Begiristain called Sterling immediately to tell him he remains a key player in Pep Guardiola's long-term plans."

Sky Sports' Guillem Balague also ssaid that the 22-year-old spoke directly with manager Pep Guardiola about his position at the club:

ESPN FC's Mark Ogden struggled to see why Arsenal were keen on signing the England international anyway:

The additions of players like Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva since Guardiola arrived at City in 2016 have prompted doubts about what role the England man has to play at the Etihad. However, the former Liverpool player has started the season in encouraging style, netting in his past two Premier League games.

With some world-class players vying for spots in the final third, getting into the City side on a regular basis will be a huge challenge for Sterling. It will be intriguing to see whether the flurry of speculation about his future at the end of the transfer window can spur him on to a prosperous campaign.