Mikel Arteta 'rejects Alexis Sanchez plea to return to Arsenal'

Marseille attacker Alexis Sanchez reportedly pleads with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to return to North London, but his advances are rebuffed. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reportedly rejected the chance to re-sign Alexis Sanchez despite a personal plea from the Chile attacker. Sanchez and Arteta shared a dressing room at the Emirates as players until the former's transfer to Manchester United in 2018, which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move in the opposite direction. However, Sanchez failed to replicate his previous goalscoring form at Old Trafford and also struggled to make his mark during a brief spell with Inter Milan, despite winning a Serie A crown. The 34-year-old subsequently made the move to Marseille for the 2022-23 season, and he found his feet under Igor Tudor with 18 goals from 44 appearances in all competitions. Sanchez found the back of the net 14 times in Ligue 1 to help Les Olympiens qualify for the Champions League with a third-placed finish, but his future is currently in limbo.