Moussa Dembele and Virgil van Dijk targeted by Arsenal as Alexis Sanchez uncertainty grows

KEY POINTS

Arsene Wenger wants Celtic forward Dembele to replace Sanchez if he leaves The Emirates Stadium.
Van Dijk, who has been heavily linked with Liverpool, is also a target for the Gunners.

Arsenal will move for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele if Alexis Sanchez leaves The Emirates Stadium this summer. The Chile international's future is no clearer with less than four weeks to go until the new Premier League season starts on 11 August and the Gunners are putting provisions in place should they lose their prized asset.

Sanchez has entered the final 12 months of his contract in north London and has shown no clear desire to want to stay with the 13-time FA Cup winners. The 28-year-old is currently absent from the club's pre-season tour in Australia having played in the Confederations Cup but his future is expected to become clearer upon returning to training.

Manchester City continue to be linked with a move for the former Barcelona forward but manager Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board have no plans to allow him to join a domestic rival. Therefore, a move to Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich could be in the offing.

The Express understand that 21-year-old Dembele has been identified as the main man to replace Sanchez should the club decide to cash in on the player this summer, instead of allowing his contract to expire. The France youth international scored 32 goals for Celtic last season as they won the domestic treble and has been heavily linked with a move to England.

Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers says no players will leave Celtic before the club have secured qualification for the Champions League but they could be vulnerable to offers thereafter. The Scottish Premier League champions value Dembele at £30m but believe they could get more in the current climate.

The same publication also claim that Arsenal are interested in hijacking Liverpool's pursuit of Virgil van Dijk and could move for the Netherlands international. The Southampton captain is thought to favour a move to Anfield after the Reds cooled their interest having been reported to the Premier League for making an illegal approach.

Wenger is considering a bid of around £45m for a player he could have signed for a fraction of that fee two years ago. Arsenal withdrew from attempts to sign Van Dijk for £12m in 2015 and could be made to pay for that mistake this summer.