The boss of Arsenal reveals the interest of Alexis Sanchez before the move from Manchester United

Unai Emery revealed that he wanted to take Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal to Paris St Germain last winter.

The Chilean striker is preparing to return for the first time to the Emirates Stadium Friday night after leaving the Gunners to join Manchester United.

Sanchez, who has entered into an exchange agreement with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford since signing a large sum contract a year ago.

He scored only four goals in his tough first 12 months, while many injuries hampered his progress.

He is back in the game to face his former club in the fourth round of the FA Cup after overcoming a hamstring problem. It could be his first appearance at Arsenal since his departure. PSG.

When asked if he had tried to sign the former Barcelona striker, the Spaniard replied, "Yes. He is a very good player and, when I was at PSG, we thought he could help him.

"We talked about a lot of players, a lot of important players, and one of them was the possibility of Alexis. But it was not possible.

Instead, Sanchez moved north to join United, who has won all seven games under his acting manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Former boss Jose Mourinho was sacked in December by a 2-1 Premier League draw. Arsenal was one of his last games at the helm.

Sanchez was injured in the match, but despite his troubles, Emery knows his defense must know that the 30-year-old can be a threat.

"I respect him," Emery added.

"In my preparations, every player (prepared) plays against the best Manchester United players and one of them is Alexis Sanchez.

"I do not know why his performance or quality is better or worse under these circumstances. Now, in the last matches, they play very well with great performances.

"He started on the bench after an injury, but if he plays Friday, we have to work to stop him because he is a very good player.