According to reports in the Daily Mail, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident that £80m-rated forward Alexis Sanchez will stay at the club after revealing he has been texting the forward throughout the summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sanchez has been heavily linked with a move away from the Gunners this summer as he has just a year remaining on his contract, and he is still yet to commit his future to the north London outfit.

The Daily Mail says he is wanted by Premier League rivals Manchester City but Wenger insists that he has been in regular contact with the Chile international, who is currently enjoying an extended summer break having featured for his country at the Confederations Cup.

What did Wenger say?

When asked whether Sanchez would be staying, the Frenchman told the Daily Mail: “Of course. There is not a lot to resolve with the player.

“I have spoken through text and it was very positive. My thoughts are always positive.”

While far from being conclusive, it seems as though the Arsenal boss is confident that Sanchez will be at the Emirates next term.

How important was Sanchez last season?

He was hugely influential, once again.

The Chilean attacker scored 30 goals and provided a further 19 assists in 51 appearances for the Gunners, although he couldn’t prevent them finishing outside of the top four and failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Is Sanchez going to sign a new contract?

While Wenger has commented on the latest situation as he sees it, it is still far from clear.

The Arsenal manager believes that the 28-year-old will stay, but it is uncertain whether he is willing to sign a new deal with the Gunners or whether he isn’t and they are willing to risk losing him for nothing next year.

Given his influence, you couldn’t blame them for doing the latter and it would surely take a huge fee to land the Chilean attacker, even if he does only have a year remaining on his contract.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, Arsenal fans will certainly be buoyed by Wenger’s confidence on Sanchez and that he looks set to be with the club next season, but they may be thinking ahead already to how they could potentially lose him for nothing in 2018.

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