Sky Sports Reporter Claims Man Utd Have Entered Race for Alexis Sanchez With Part Exchange Offer

​​Manchester United have made a shock move for ​Arsenal's superstar forward and Manchester City target Alexis Sanchez, according to Italian Sky Sports journalist and transfer guru ​Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Chilean international has fewer than six months remaining on his current contract and will become a free agent in the summer. Most had expected Sanchez to join United's rivals City either in the summer or this January with reports heavily linking the star to link up once again with Pep Guardiola.

It seemed to be a formality that the 29-year-old would complete a move to the Etihad and join Guardiola's project at ​Manchester City, but Jose Mourinho may have just thrown a spanner in the works for his long-term adversary.

According to reports, the Gunners are willing to sell their prized asset this month if a favourable offer comes in and Di Marzio claims that Mourinho may have just gained the edge over Guardiola with the offer of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as a sweetener in any potential deal.

Sanchez came close to joining the blue half of Manchester on transfer deadline day last summer but Arsenal pulled the plug on a £60m deal, as they were unable to secure the £92m signing of Thomas Lemar from Monaco in time.

It's unclear where the ex-Barcelona winger will ply his trade beyond this window, but it's safe to say an exit from north London looks the more likely predicament at the moment.

Mkhitaryan has been linked with an Old Trafford exit in recent weeks, as he appears to have fallen out of favour with Mourinho and has also been linked with a move to Serie A Inter and former club Dortmund.