Bayern president dubs talk of Sanchez swoop not 'very strong'

Manchester City received a huge boost in its reported pursuit for Alexis Sanchez after Uli Hoeness suggested Bayern Munich wasn't in the running for the Arsenal forward.

The club president balked at the Chilean international's £300,000-a-week wage demands, and said that he's received no word from chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge that Sanchez is on Bayern Munich's radar.

"I'm not involved in operational business. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hasn't approached me, therefore the link with him doesn't seem to be very strong," Hoeness told kicker on Monday, with translation from ESPN FC's Mattias Karen.

He added: "The salaries being talked about up front of over €20 million (a year) are definitely an amount that isn't feasible for FC Bayern."

With Bayern seemingly backing away from its apparent Sanchez interest, it appears compatriot Arturo Vidal's powers of persuasion fell on deaf ears. The midfielder, who's been plying his trade in Bavaria since 2015, said in May that when he's asked by club executives for any transfer recommendations "I've always said that (Sanchez) is the player that needs to arrive here."

News of Paris Saint-Germain's interest, meanwhile, has quietened, potentially paving the way for Manchester City to sign Sanchez despite Arsenal's reservations over selling to a Premier League rival. Pep Guardiola worked with Sanchez for a year at Barcelona, and would welcome greater versatility and experience to his ranks as he reconstructs his squad at the Etihad Campus.

Related: 3 ways Manchester City could line up with Alexis Sanchez

Sanchez, 28, enjoyed the most prolific season of his career so far in 2016-17, scoring 24 goals and assisting 10 times in the league as the Gunners stumbled outside the previously familiar confines of English football's top four.