Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville got into a heated debate about Alexis Sanchez

"We're not talking about going to play for Salford, we're talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world, Manchester United."

According to several reports on Monday night, Manchester City have pulled out of the race to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal this month. The Chilean forward has been linked with a move to the Premier League leaders since last summer, and he could have joined them on a free transfer at the end of the season. However, Pep Guardiola wanted to sign him in this window, and the club submitted a £20m bid for the 29-year-old. It looked as though Sanchez would join City as soon as Arsenal found a replacement, and personal terms are said to have already been agreed between the club and the former Barcelona forward. Then Manchester United entered the race, submitted a bid worth more to Arsenal - believed to be £35m - and offered the player more money. United are understood to be willing to make Sanchez the fourth-highest paid player in the world - on weekly wages of £350,000 - while City weren't prepared to pay him more than £250,000. City would have had to make Sanchez the highest-earning player at the club to complete the transfer, so they backed away from the deal, as they did not want to pay the Arsenal forward more than current players, such as Kevin De Bruyne. Just before the news broke of City abandoning their pursuit, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher got into a heated debate on Monday Night Football about Sanchez's transfer situation. Carragher argued that Guardiola's side weren't willing prepared to pay more than United because they had already agreed a deal with the player. However, Neville couldn't understand why a club with infinite financial resources weren't willing to pay what was necessary for a player of Sanchez's quality. "It's not about money. It might be for Sanchez but not for City," Carragher said.

"They're not bothered about an extra £30m, what's that to City? It's absolutely nothing. It's the fact the man, I would say, has given his word that he's going to go to City. He's probably shook hands on a deal. They tried to get him in the summer but Arsenal pulled out of it. I'm sure they've been talking all the way through, saying we'll get you when the window re-opens. Manchester United have come from nowhere and offered more money."

Yet, Neville found it difficult to believe that City have suddenly become prudent in their transfer market dealings. "If all of a sudden City, on Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Sanchez, adopt an approach where they say that's our ceiling, that's where we'll go to and not any further then I wouldn't disagree with it," the former United defender said. https://twitter.com/GNev2/status/953162275292176384 Neville then asked why would Arsenal sell to City when United offered them more money. But Carragher said that the situation wasn't about money to the Gunners, as Arsene Wenger needs to sell the player - who has become "a cancer in the dressing room" - this month before they lose him for nothing in the summer. Neville then took issue with any suggestion that City could offer less money just "because everyone wants to go and play for Pep Guardiola." Carragher said that "if you're an attacking player you'd to sign for Guardiola, if you're a defender you'd sign for Jose Mourinho." You can watch them here: Neville makes some good points, but we agree with Carragher on this one. According to reports, Chelsea are also interested in Sanchez, but it does now feel like he'll end up at Old Trafford.