Barcelona managerial target Jorge Sampaoli says he would love to work with Alexis Sanchez again

The Sevilla manager has praised unsettled Arsenal player Sanchez, who he worked with while in charge of Chile's national team, as 'one of the best forwards in the world'

Both men have been linked with moves away from their current clubs in recent weeks (Getty)

Sevilla head coach Jorge Sampaoli has opened the door to one day reuniting with Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, a player he has described as “one of the best forwards in the world”.

Sampaoli, who has been repeatedly linked with the Barcelona job ever since current coach Luis Enrique announced he will be stepping down at the end of the season, worked with Sanchez during his four-year stint as Chile’s national team manager.

Sanchez’s future at Arsenal is uncertain, with the club still waiting on the 28-year-old to extend his current contract. And ahead of Sevilla’s Champions League match against Leicester City, Sampaoli admitted to the media that he would love to work with the forward again.

“He is a top, top player. One of the best forwards in the world I would say,” Sampaoli said in his pre-match media conference. “It would be great to have the chance to work with him again one day.

"I was lucky to share a time with him in the national team. We went to a World Cup together, we won the Copa America with him in the side as well, it was a very satisfying period of my career and it was great to share it with Alexis."


 Sanchez is thought to favour a move away from the Emirates (Getty)
 (Getty Images)

The Argentinian, who joined Sevilla at the start of the season and has led them to 3^rd-place in La Liga, also called on Arsenal to show faith in Sanchez to turn his form around.

"He is one of the best strikers in the world and, irrespective of the fact his team aren't going through a good patch of form at the moment, I think they have the right kind of player there who can change things for them," he added.

"Hopefully, they depend on him to change things around in that team."

Sampaoli is currently the bookies favourite to be appointed the next Barcelona manager, shortly ahead of Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde and Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino.