Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak reveals why the champions did not land Alexis Sanchez
City did 'everything they could' to land the Chilean, 29, last summer but Khaldoon says the landscape had changed in January
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KHALDOON AL MUBARAK revealed why Manchester City pulled the plug on a January move for Alexis Sanchez.
City did 'everything they could' to land the Chilean, 29, last summer but the club chairman said the landscape had changed in the New Year.
The champions felt the £40million transfer fee and reported wages of £505,000 a week were too high leaving it clear for Manchester United to sign him.
Khaldoon also said they walked away from a deal for Virgil van Dijk due to Southampton's £75m fee.
Looking back on the Sanchez hunt, Khaldoon said: "We identified him as a player that would have been a good fit for this club.
"Pep was very keen to have him join. But it didn't happen. Not for the wrong reasons. There aren't any regrets.
"There are reasons why that deal ultimately did fall through and it was out of our hands. We did everything we could."
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Arsenal let Sanchez go to United in January with Red Devils' Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way but by then City were established at the top of the Prem.
And Khaldoon explained the deal did not make financial sense for them six months on.
He added: "We looked at it again in January but the situation had changed for us compared to how we looked at it in the summer.
"The reality is that the economics simply didn't work for us any more."
Despite City enquiring about Van Dijk, 27, the Dutch ace joined Liverpool in what was a world record fee for a defender.
And Khaldoon said: "If it makes sense for us, we'll do it. If it doesn't make sense, we are perfectly comfortable walking away."
City have sent promising winger Patrick Roberts, 21, on a season's loan to sister club Girona, who play in La Liga.