Manchester City “still keen” to sign Arsenal talisman

Manchester City has made the best start in Premier League history and is on course to break a number of records. Why would Pep Guardiola want to introduce a potentially disruptive influence like Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez into the team?

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are “still keen” to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal this January. The Chilean forward has just six months left on his contract, and January is Arsene Wenger’s last opportunity to get any sort of fee for him. Assuming the Gunners are willing to sell, why would City introduce Sanchez into a team that is already firing on all cylinders?

The first reason is the most obvious: Sanchez is very, very good at football. He averages a goal or an assist every 1.33 appearances for Arsenal. He is a difference maker, and his tenacity and work rate are uncommon in a player of his ability. It is a wonder that Arsenal does not simply pay him what he wants.

His form, though, has dropped off considerably since last spring. He stalled on signing a new deal and has cut an increasingly frustrated figure ever since. His passion and will to win are great in a side that wins. They come across as petulant and immature in a team that does not.

Wenger left him out of the starting XI against Liverpool last March after a training ground strop. Sanchez’s head has not seemed right ever since. He clearly does not want to stay at Arsenal, and the reporting indicates his teammates are ready for him to leave as well. He has become a disruptive influence, and it shows.

More from Premier League

• Manchester City suffer but come away with win over West Ham
• Premier League match preview: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
• Jadon Sancho refutes Erik Ten Hag’s comments
• Arsenal win in added time drama as United suffer last-minute agony
• Rudderless Chelsea lose to Nottingham Forest

Surely, it is risky to introduce such a character into the finely balanced Manchester City dressing room. The conventional wisdom says Guardiola should establish stability. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Conventional wisdom does not win titles though.

Stability, not change, is the enemy of success in an environment as competitive as the Premier League. Manchester City knows this. The Citizens have never won back-to-back titles. Indeed, the last time anyone won consecutive titles was Manchester United back in 2008/09. Success brings complacency. Just ask Jose Mourinho about his 2015/16 season at Chelsea.

Next: Guardiola asks referees for protection

Signing Alexis Sanchez would be a statement from Guardiola. The City boss is banishing complacency from the Etihad. It is a risk, but the greater risk is stasis. If Sanchez moves to Manchester, it illustrates Guardiola’s plan for domination over many seasons.