Gylfi Sigurdsson has been compared to Arsenal’s £35 million Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez.

The compliment was paid by Sigurdsson’s Swansea City head coach Francesco Guidolin, who knows more than most the value of his Icelandic star.

Guidolin will be hoping Sigurdsson continues his rich vein of form away to Premier League leaders Leicester City on Sunday after the deep-laying forward scored nine goals in his last 15 matches.

Guidolin said: “Gylfi reminds me of Alexis. I worked with Sanchez at Udinese in 2010 when we finished fourth in Serie A in Italy and got to the Champions League play-offs.

“Before I arrived at Udinese, Sanchez played as a winger and then I decided to have him as my No.10, where he played very, very well and went on to Barcelona.

“Gylfi and Sanchez have similar characteristics. They are players who put the team first, they have great character and are very hard working.

“They score goals regularly to help the team and I must admit when I speak about Gylfi and when I watch Gylfi I sometimes feel like it is six years ago and I am watching Alexis Sanchez. The quality is the same.”

Only Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero have managed more goals than Sigurdsson in 2016.

Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester have lost just once in their last 16 matches and know they will win the title if they can bank eight points from the games against Swansea, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea which are still ahead this season.

But Ranieri’s run-in plans have not been helped by the red card shown to Jamie Vardy last weekend which will see him miss the Swansea fixture.