Arsene Wenger and Alexis Sanchez will meet in person for the first time in two months on Wednesday.

It feels like it’s been a long time since Alexis has been in London. The Chilean helped Arsenal win the FA Cup at the end of May, flew off to the Confederations Cup with Chile and hasn’t been back since.

All the while, speculation about his future has rumbled on and on. While he was in Chile kicking back and relaxing – as much as Alexis can kick back and relax – Wenger was being peppered by questions about his future.

Will he sign a new contract? Will Arsenal keep him if they don’t? How big can Manchester City’s ego get before it explodes?

On Wednesday, though, Wenger and Alexis will finally reunite. According to the Evening Standard, they will have their first formal meeting since the end of the season. It’s assumed they’ll discuss Alexis’ future or, as the report puts it, have ‘showdown talks’ after a “contract standoff”.

There’s not that much to discuss. Alexis surely wouldn’t have waited two months to tell Wenger that he wants to leave. Unless he’s been holidaying in a mine shaft, he’ll know Wenger intends to keep him at the club.

At this point, it’s expected that he’ll return to training and play in an Arsenal shirt next season. Alexis will likely be short of fitness by the time the season begins against Leicester, but will probably be on the bench provided he doesn’t go on strike.