Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has praised Alexis Sanchez, believing him to be worthy of a nomination for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
The Chilean is among the six contenders for the accolade alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, N'Golo Kante and Eden Hazard.
Sanchez, whose contract expires at the end of next season and has been linked with a departure from the Emirates Stadium, has directly contributed to 40 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions this season.
"I'm very happy [Sanchez has been nominated] because it rewards a very strong season if you look at his numbers," Wenger told Sky Sports News on Friday. "His goalscoring record is good, his assists are good and I believe that the combination of goalscoring and assists always [showcases] the quality of a player.
"He played at centre-forward for a while and also because he has a short backlift, a good quality of reception, a good first touch and the focus needed to score. That means that he plays with a kind of aggressive attitude in the box which allows him to score.
"Unfortunately, he's a player who likes the ball a lot. He likes to touch the ball, so I would say he is more attracted to a wide position. He basically prefers to play wide rather than up front because he can get the ball more. He has to keep that balance between providing and goalscoring because he has both in the locker."
Sanchez's tally of 18 league goals puts him ahead of Chelsea's Hazard and Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic in the Premier League scoring charts.
Giuseppe Labellarte
