There's little doubt now that Alexis Sanchez's future lies in Manchester.

The only question now is whether that means the Chilean is headed for United or City.

Ahead of Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday, it emerged that something was amiss, with the wantaway attacker omitted from the Gunners' squad.

Arsene Wenger explained in his post-match press conference that a deal "could happen today, tomorrow or not at all".

"I didn’t want to travel with him and then he goes somewhere.

“It will be decided in the next 48 hours. It was difficult for him because he was on standby a little bit."

Those comments are about as vague as you'd expect from Le Professeur, who was unlikely to give much away.

To add to the drama engulfing the 29-year-old, several reports claimed that City were no longer interested in their long-term target because they deemed him too expensive. 

Goal suggested that City had withdrawn their offer after learning that United were willing to pay more, in terms of wages and the transfer fee itself.

That's an understandable stance from the league-leaders, as Sanchez only has six months left on his contract and would have been available for nothing in the summer.

How do City really feel about Sanchez? 

However, a fresh report courtesy of the Mirror claims that City have *not* pulled the plug.

It's true that the figures involved are making them a little hesitant, but in fact Pep Guardiola, chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain, have allegedly met on Monday to discuss the matter further.

United remain favourites, simply because they are more likely to tempt Arsenal with a bid of £35million, as opposed to the £20m City are prepared to table.

The Red Devils hope to wield a further edge by throwing Henrikh Mkhitaryan into the mix, insisting that Anthony Martial will not form part of the deal.

And the player himself? As easy as it is to think of Sanchez as a commodity, his desire to play for City - and in particular, his former Barcelona boss Guardiola - may yet prove key.

Even if the Citizens aren't happy paying such a lofty fee, they are now having to consider the possibility of him playing for their biggest rivals - obviously, something they do not want to contemplate.

Who should Sanchez join - United or City? Have your say in the comments.