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Alexis Sánchez is leaving Barcelona. That was no surprise. The only question was to which team. We reported on Sunday that the team was going to be Arsenal FC, and Arsène Wenger, the club's manager, has confirmed that the transfer is actually happening.
According to reports from England, Wenger told talkSport that the deal with Alexis is "almost done" and he is flying back to London from Brazil -- where he is watching and doing commentary for the World Cup -- to complete the signing. Arsenal expects to officially announce it on Thursday, as soon as Sánchez agrees to all terms. All negotiations between Barça and Arsenal are done, and the deal is imminent.
As we reported, Alexis will sign a four-year deal with the Gunners, and the transfer will cost Arsenal a total of €33 million.
Alexis has been linked with a move for a couple of months now, and there were some rumours that he was being included in the negotiations with Liverpool for Luis Suárez. Turns out the Reds didn't have any real interest in Sánchez, and Arsenal made a strong pitch that satisfied both Barça and the player. London is a personal favorite landing spot for Alexis, and the negotiations evolved quickly to the point of an actual agreement.
The Chile international joined Barça in 2011, and had strong contributions as a Blaugrana, with a total of 140 appearances, 42 goals and 25 assists. Alexis also won a total of six titles, four of them in his first season, Barça's last under Pep Guardiola.
The 25-year-old striker is the second Barça star that leaves to the Premier League in 2014. Last month, Cesc Fábregas signed with Chelsea, also for a €33 million fee.
