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Pellegrini wants Sanchez at Hebei
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FORMER Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini has risked infuriating Arsenal by offering fellow Chilean Alexis Sanchez a lucrative move to the Chinese club he now manages.
Sanchez, who along with German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil, has been in protracted discussions with Arsenal over a new contract, could reportedly earn as much as 500,000 pounds (US$620,000) a week at Hebei China Fortune.
Argentine star Ezequiel Lavezzi is on just under that at the ambitious Chinese Super League club.
“If Alexis wants to come, we have a club for him right now,” Pellegrini, who also has former Arsenal winger Gervinho at the club, told The Sun newspaper.
“He can come to join us in China immediately.”
Striker Sanchez, Arsenal’s outstanding player this season, is reported to be unhappy with the Gunners’ financial offer and also wants assurances about manager Arsene Wenger’s future.
“Step by step Alexis has led a career with a lot of intelligence,” said the 63-year-old Pellegrini, who guided City to the 2014 English Premier League title but was told midway through last term he would be replaced by Pep Guardiola.
“He started in South America always playing for big clubs. After that he played in Italy, Spain (for Barcelona) and now in the Premier League, which is the most powerful in the world.
“Alexis has always done things the right way. Chinese football is growing every day and the interest in going there is increasing all the time.”
Sanchez, 27, is the third high-profile South American to be linked with a big-money move to China inside a week.
Chelsea’s out-of-favor Brazilian midfielder Oscar has been linked with a 60-million pound move to Shanghai SIPG and veteran Argentine striker Carlos Tevez is reported to be in talks with Shanghai Shenhua.
But state media have warned that a “bubble” had developed in Chinese football after spending topped US$1 billion this year.
The People’s Daily urged clubs to control their “headstrong” spending even as China bids to become a global football superpower.
While there is “no reason to restrict capital” in the CSL, clubs must have focus and discipline on spending for the sake of their own long-term health, an article in the newspaper said.
It said 8 billion yuan (US$1.15 bn) had been spent in 2016, a sum which “far exceeded the economic value brought to the league”. The explosive growth in football investments is a “bubble” given the slower growth in ticket and licensed product sales, the article added.
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