Manchester City would stop the signing of Alexis Sánchez until summer

Pep Guardiola wants to maintain the harmony of the locker room at Etihad Stadium, according to Goal.

Guardiola does not want the balance of his team to be affected, which is currently performing spectacularly. The Chilean could have a great impact on and off the field.

Ironically, his strong personality and leadership qualities could work against them next month, as Guardiola tries to maintain the positive atmosphere that has developed around the club during the first part of the season.

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Alexis was City's main target throughout the preseason and had agreed terms for a transfer of £60 million (almost €68 million) with Arsenal for the close of the transfer window. However, the Gunners did not find a replacement for the Chilean.

The summer transfer window ended with both clubs blaming each other for the fiasco, while City told the Chilean's agent in a call that they would make another offer in January.

City believes they could now sign the contract for much less than the £60 million they were willing to pay in the summer. Guardiola is still very interested in working with the 29-year-old player, but the club's board believes the team is in a much better situation than they were during the preseason.

The coach wanted Alexis to shake up the attack and help introduce a hard-working attitude and a killer instinct in front of the goal. However, Manchester City has found those qualities without the Chilean, and Guardiola now distrusts interrupting the dynamics of his squad by introducing a player who would expect to play the majority of the games.

The situation could still change if one or more of City's forwards are injured in the next five weeks, eliminating the question of how certain team members would react if they are left out of the game.

But as it stands, it is most likely that the team will put the transfer on hold until summer. Although they have stayed in contact with the forward's agent and are confident they will remain his favorites to sign him later on, they know perfectly well that several of the top clubs in Europe could legally make opposing offers from January 1.

The decision is believed to be unrelated to Alexis' poor performances for Arsenal this season or the bad mood he has had since his failed summer move.