Ray Parlour urges Arsenal to reject Manchester City's cash-plus Raheem Sterling offer for Alexis Sanchez

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour does not think Arsene Wenger's side should accept Manchester City's cash-plus-Raheem Sterling offer for Alexis Sanchez and has questioned the England international's football intelligence.

Sanchez, 28, is unlikely to sign fresh terms in north London with his current contract set to expire next summer. Wenger has insisted on a number of occasions that the Chile international will remain in the capital and see out the remainder of his deal, but Pep Guardiola's men have moved to test the Frenchman's resolve.

The Citizens submitted a new offer for Sanchez on Tuesday (29 August) believed to be worth £70m with Sterling's value factored in. Guardiola's side would prefer to keep the former Liverpool star in the north west but are prepared to part with him in order to capture Sanchez, who has designs on a move to City.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal accept City's offer for Sanchez, but Parlour, who endured a largely successful 12 years in north London, thinks the former Udinese wonderkid is a "totally different player" to Sterling and questioned the latter's decision-making.

"Sterling has made a good start to the season, two goals in the opening couple of games, but I watched him at the weekend and his football brain sometimes... he was running with the ball, tried to take the guy on in the box and ending up running it out of play. The football brain wasn't there," Parlour told talkSPORT.

"He is a good player, a player that could come into the club and be a decent signing, but will he score as many goals as Sanchez? He is a totally different player to Sanchez.

"He makes the wrong decisions at times in that final third. They [Arsenal] would rather have the cash probably."

Sterling had to make do with two substitute appearances in City's opening Premier League games against Brighton and Hove Albion and Everton, but he was handed a start by Guardiola and scored a dramatic late winner before being shown a second yellow card for celebrating with the travelling City supporters in the weekend win at AFC Bournemouth.

With the competition for an attacking spot rife under Guardiola Sterling may opt to return to London, where he started his football career with Queens Park Rangers. The Times claim that Sterling will consider a move to the Emirates Stadium, where he would certainly be one of the most integral players in Wenger's line-up rather than a rotation option in Manchester.