Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho delivers fresh update on Alexis Sanchez transfer from Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez has been tipped to leave Arsenal for months and a move to Manchester United looks as if it is about to be finalised.

The Chile international is said to have received a call late last night to head up to Manchester from London to undergo his medical.

The move is expected to be completed this weekend with Sanchez set to make his debut for the Red Devils on January 31 away at Tottenham.

And Jose Mourinho has admitted he thinks the transfer is in its final stages, although he refused to give any sort of confirmation on the deal.

“If you ask me if I think he is coming, I think so, but I have no confirmation,” he said.

And in his post-match press conference, Mourinho added: “Mr Woodward is working hard, everybody is giving everything they can, and I think they will be successful (in signing Sanchez).

“Expect soon or never. So close, so close, so close, if it doesn’t happen it’s not going to happen.

“I know my people are doing absolutely everything they can.

“I think they will be successful.”

Arsene Wenger was also asked about the deal in his post-match press conference after Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 4-1 today.

“I didn’t take him [to the Palace game] because there is a question of him moving to Manchester United. You cannot drive up north and as well play football,” he said.

“I expect it to happen maybe, but I cannot announce it.

“Because in the next 48 hours it will be decided one way or the other.

“It happens only one way, if the other way happens as well. That’s why it takes longer as well because it is coordinated.”

United, meanwhile, got on with business on the field and edged past Burnley at Turf Moor with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Anthony Martial.

“If you don’t score you are in trouble, they go direct, they are consistent in their approach it is really difficult,” Mourinho added.

“We defended very well, and it is fair to say Mike Dean and his team were very good. There was a lot of first ball, second ball and the physicality.

“Of course we are happy with him [Martial], we just want consistency, we know he has the talent.”

Sanchez’s move to Old Trafford is said to be worth £35million and he is set to put pen to paper on a long-term deal worth £500,000 a week.

And speaking prior to the Burnley match, Mourinho justified the big-money deal by claiming the Chilean would be a “special” signing for United.

“The team is lacking nothing,” Mourinho said.

“It is not the point that we are lacking something or we desperately need something. It is just thinking about the improvement of the team in the future.

“Normally I say the idea of the mid-season transfer market is to help clubs that didn’t work well in the previous summer. 

“That’s why we don’t like to do business in January, because it shows we didn’t give our best, we didn’t try our best. That is not the case.

“But if you have the chance to buy a special player in special circumstances – a player who you would try to buy in the summer anyway – then that’s a special situation and you try to do it.”

“If it happens, we are sure it is good for the future of the team.”