Arsene Wenger defends Manchester United spending on Alexis Sanchez – with a sly dig at City

Alexis Sanchez appears to be on the verge of completing his transfer from Arsenal to Manchester United.

Sanchez will reportedly become the fourth-highest paid footballer in the world when the move is finalised. He is said to have agreed a deal worth £14m a year, and will sign a four-and-a-half-year contract, keeping him at Old Trafford until the end of the 2021/22 season. Manchester City had long been linked with a move for the player, but they were beaten to the Chilean by their Manchester rivals. The 29-year-old found himself in the final months of his contract with two of the richest clubs in the world fighting for his signature. It remains to be seen if he has made right decision from a footballing perspective. But there's no doubt that, in financial terms, Sanchez has hit the jackpot. United have been criticised by some for their significant outlay on the forward, and it is an astounding amount of money. However, Arsene Wenger has no issue with the money they are about to spend. The Frenchman, who has a degree in economics, has said that United are perfectly entitled to pay players whatever they want, because they "generate the money they pay to the players with their own dollars."

"I wouldn't like to come out on the numbers, because that's Man United's problem," Wenger said to reporters on Thursday when asked about the money Sanchez is set to earn at Old Trafford. "I respect Man United because they generate the money they pay to the players with their own resources, you have to respect that. After that, it's down to them to know how much they want to give to the player. Overall, Man United are a club very well managed financially, and of course as well on the pitch, so that's why I don't have any problems with the money they pay."

This could easily be read as a dig at City, who are funded by Abu Dhabi and petrodollars. In the past, Wenger has accused the club of "financial doping", and has preached importance of clubs living within their means, and only spending money that they generate. "We live within our resources, when we make money that is because we have worked well and made good decisions," he said in 2009. Some may be repulsed by Sanchez's incredible wage at Old Trafford, but Wenger is right when he says United can afford to pay it. https://twitter.com/JonathanShrager/status/954004199288770561