Arsenal will demand at least £50million for Alexis Sanchez if the forward refuses to sign a new deal.

The Gunners will stick to their guns over their valuation, even though the 28-year-old — who has scored 23 goals and made 12 assists this season — will have just a year left on his contract come the summer.

As we revealed in December, champions-elect Chelsea want to sign him and will make their move once - as is now expected - it becomes clear he does not intend to extend his stay at the Emirates.

With talks on a new deal shelved, will Sanchez soon be waving Arsenal goodbye? (
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Getty)
The forward celebrates his free-kick for Chile against Venezuela (
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Getty)
Sanchez gets a high-five from Mauricio Isla (
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REUTERS)
Chelsea would love to make this more than just some nifty Photoshopping (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

The Chile international’s representatives are demanding his weekly salary goes up from the current £130,000 to around £300k.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed last week that talks have been put on hold until the summer, and Arsenal insist Sanchez will not join another English club.

But it is feared he could follow the likes of Robin van Persie (Manchester United), Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri (both Man City) and Ashley Cole (Chelsea) and end up moving from Arsenal to one of their direct rivals.

Meanwhile, Sanchez has revealed he used to be a goalie and that to play football as a youngster he used to visit his local JAIL.

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Born and raised in the city of Tocopilla, he and his friends would use the ‘dirt pitch’ at the slammer in his home town because other pitches hard to come by.

Sanchez explained: ”I wanted to be a professional footballer from when I was small. My mental approach was always to win and to go as far as possible playing football.

“I was always playing in tournaments and initially I played in goal. I was happy as long as I was playing football. I played with older people all the time - many of whom I really liked.

“[I played] in the street, but we also used to go to the local jail to play. We played with the people there on a dirt pitch, and I played in goal.”

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