Arsenal will have to spend £10m a year to keep Alexis Sanchez as club prepare to offer £200,000 a week

Arsenal are planning to break the £200,000-a-week barrier at the club to keep striker Alexis Sanchez, with the board determined to do all they can to ensure that he does not leave the club, even though the Chilean will still have an offer of double that from Chinese Super League.

Though negotiations have currently stalled, with Arsenal offering around £180,000-a-week wages, the club is resolved to keep him. 

And whilst there is clearly a financial limit and no way of matching the huge sums on offer from China, Arsenal are expected to offer more than £10m a year deal and hope that the Chilean's love of London life and his desire to play in the Premier League and Champions League will bring about a resolution to contract talks in the New Year.

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League

The Gunners are desperate to keep hold of on of their star players by offering a new deal

With more consistency and the club apparently poised to make a genuine title challenge there us broad agreement at the club that keeping Sanchez is essential at a critical point in the club's history and the hope that being settled in London will weigh in their favour above the potential riches on offer in China.

Wenger's own future at the club is also in the balance with the manger's contract expiring at the end of the season, but the expectation is that it will be extended, giving stability to the group of players, with Mesut Ozil also in contract talks. Like Alexis Sanchez, his deal runs out in 2018

With Arsenal taking on Manchester City aiming to close the nine-point gap on Chelsea at the top of the Premier League, Wenger has spelt out just how important Sanchez had been to the club since joining in 2014, comparing him to Barcelona's Luis Suarez, the player Wenger failed to sign in 2013 with a bid of £40m and one pound.

'He is comparable to Suarez a bit in style,' said Wenger. 'From the players I have had, there are no real comparisons. Thierry Henry was a real athlete, naturally you saw this guy was a strong man. 

'Sanchez surprises you a little bit because of his size - you do not expect such a dynamic, strong winning attitude. It's his game. He is a leader in his way on the football pitch, because he is not scared of anybody. That's a kind of leadership.'

Wenger has compared Sanchez's playing style to that of Barcelona forward Luis Suarez

Sanchez juggles the ball on his chest during Arsenal's training session on Saturday

Sanchez scored once more against Everton on Tuesday but his side fell to a 2-1 defeat