Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez returned to their London Colney training base this week as the talk surrounding his future continues.

The Chilean, whose contract in north London runs until next summer, has been at the centre of a saga over a new deal since things took a turn for the worse in terms of the Gunners’ form just after Christmas.

Arsene Wenger has remained firm on his stance that the former Barcelona man, who has been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City amongst others, will not be leaving The Emirates this summer, especially not for another English club.

However, considering that no new contract appears to be on the horizon, the powers that be at the club must weigh up the pros and cons of either selling their star man, who bagged 30 goals and 19 assists in all competitions last season, this summer or letting him go for nothing in a year’s time, with no control as to which club he joins.

The 28-year-old remains odds of 1/3 with betway.com to still be a Gooner come the end of the summer window, however, with Brazilian star Neymar having made a stunning £200m move to Paris Saint-Germain it would seem nothing is off limits this summer.

With that in mind, Wenger has been linked with a few alternatives to his main man, should he opt to flog him before the end of the month. Reports have suggested that, as well as long-term target Thomas Lemar, the French manager is also considering a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele.

The 20-year-old enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough season for the Bundesliga side last term, and is turning heads across the continent this summer.

According to Whoscored.com the forward possesses very similar strengths to Sanchez. His dribbling, finishing and link-up play are the highlights of his talents, whilst he is also becoming somewhat of a set-piece aficionado.

While keeping Sanchez in place at Arsenal this summer would more than likely bring a more successful season over the next nine months, a deal for Dembele could well be more beneficial over the coming years.

Given the situation surrounding Sanchez it seems very unlikely that he’ll be completely driven to perform for Arsenal at the same level as he has before, especially if he really is keen on a move away.

Dembele, on the other hand, will be desperate to impress and gain a star spot in Wenger’s side, especially in a World Cup year having made is France debut off the back of his standout season in Germany.

Selling Sanchez would be far from a popular move in north London, however, should the standoff on a new deal continue and the club face the choice of selling their star now, to a club of their choice, as opposed to potentially seeing him join a top four rival for nothing next summer, it is an option that must be considered, especially if they can land a deal for Dembele.