Mikel Arteta sends ‘direct’ message to plea from former Arsenal forward to make Emirates return

Alexis Sanchez has reportedly explored the possibility of rejoining Arsenal this summer, with his representatives already contacted the Gunners about a potential return.

The 34-year-old Chile striker will be out of contract with Marseille at the end of the month, although the Ligue 1 giants are keen to extend his deal for another season.

Sanchez was one of Marseille’s standout performers last term, scoring 17 goals in all competitions as they finished third in the French top flight.

But, according to Chilean outlet La Tercera, Sanchez remains keen on playing in the Champions League and has already rejected overtures from the Saudi Pro League.

The report states that the player’s agent has directly called Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to discuss a possible move back to north London this summer.

And while Arteta is said to have been made aware of Sanchez‘s desire to return, it’s reported that his response to the chances of that happening was pretty ‘direct’

Arteta has made it clear that the attacker does not fit into his plans for the team going forward, especially with numerous high-quality forward options already at his disposal.

Sanchez spent just under four years at Arsenal and helped the club win two FA Cups during his time at the club before making a shock switch to Premier League rivals Manchester United in January 2018.

The Chile international, who has scored 51 goals for his country, failed to make any kind of impact at Old Trafford though and ended up in Italy with Inter Milan before eventually moving to Marseille.

During his time at Arsenal, Sanchez scored an impressive 80 goals in 166 games.

However, it appears that his chances of adding to those figures are slim to none as Arteta looks to stick with his younger options.

READ MORE: Arteta recruitment plan explained as Fabrizio Romano reveals strategy for huge summer capture