With every summer sunset that dips below the horizon, Arsenal move a step closer to retaining the services of Alexis Sanchez for the season ahead. Each completed day is a triumph, and each night they can enjoy a moment of blessed relief.

But when the sun comes back up, the danger returns, and the Gunners are faced once again with the crushing inevitably that a fight for Sanchez looms. That they will soon be faced with the direct and inescapable question: would you rather have Alexis for one season or £60m in the bank?

This is no way to live. And as we approach the final fortnight of the transfer window, the situation will only intensify. The question is coming, and it will reportedly be posed by Manchester City.

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The Telegraph says that Pep Guardiola’s side are set to “test Arsenal’s resolve” to keep their Chilean superstar by launching a £60m bid for him before the end of the month.

For all Arsene Wenger’s insistence that Sanchez will not be sold, they may have to give such an offer some consideration from a business perspective. Forgoing £60m to keep a player for one season is essentially the same as paying £60m to take someone on loan for a season, and even Radamel Falcao didn’t cost that much.

Plus, Alexis has already rustled up a bout of flu and a “muscular strain” to keep himself out of action so far this season. Is that level of commitment worth £60m?

Four conditions for Costa

Exacerbating Arsenal’s problem is the fact that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is being repeatedly linked with Chelsea. The Mirror says the Blues will start an upcoming spending spree with a £35m move for the 23-year-old midfielder.

However, the Times claims there is a rift between the Blues hierarchy and Antonio Conte over the club’s transfer targets, with Chelsea’s board “reluctant to bow to the manager’s request to spend significant sums of money on experienced players with little resale value”.

These players are apparently Ivan Perisic, Alex Sandro, Virgil van Dijk, Fernando Llorente and Antonio Candreva, whose ages range from 26 to 32. The board presumably want to sign a few more teenagers that they can send out on loan instead.

As for Diego Costa, the Guardian says Chelsea have given him “four conditions” to “repair relations” with the Blues. Namely, come back to England, report for training, get match fit and make himself available for selection. Good luck with that, fellas.

Meanwhile, things are looking up for Costa’s fellow outcast Jack Wilshere, who the Mirror says is wanted by Juventus, having previously been a target for the likes of Newcastle and West Ham.

Elsewhere, Barcelona have “agreed” a £90m fee with Borussia Dortmund to sign their forward Ousmane Dembele in what could be good news for Liverpool fans (Express), Ross Barkley’s move to Tottenham or Chelsea is in doubt after the Everton midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in training (Sun) and the agent of Udinese goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis has declared that his client will sign for Watford, Newcastle or Crystal Palace (Hertfordshire Mercury). What’s the betting he doesn’t sign for any of them?

@darlingkevin