Underachievement is a tag that Arsenal are branded by, and quite rightly so. The players being pictured with merry faces and hands placed around the third best thing an English side can aspire to win isn’t really something Arsenal would have fancied, had it been the germinating years of this century. Further, mocking their fellow North London rivals and claiming territorial superiority by the celebrations of St. Totteringham’s Day just tell us how miserably the yardsticks of the club have fallen.
The signing of Mesut Özil and Alexis Sánchez somehow lifted the broken spirits of the Arsenal fans but the output that was desired from the team is still very far from being achievable. As a team, the Gunners haven’t had the best of results post the signing of these two superstars. Inferior domestically and clueless in the lucrative European nights, Arsène Wenger has barely proved his intrinsic value lately and thus, there is absolutely no reason why the duo would not seek an exit route sooner rather than later.
Despite five notable signings in the transfer window (Takuma Asano failed to get a work permit and has been sent off on loan to VfB Stuttgart) and strengthening every sphere of their side, the red half of North London still have a much bigger test lying up ahead for them: convincing Alexis and Özil to stay. Both being 27 years old, the attacking duo are in the middle of their best period of their career right now and would not prefer to remain elusive to the valued silverwares of the business at this point in time.
The Chilean is the one who is particularly unimpressed with the way Arsenal are moving forward. Last year, he accused his teammates of the lack of hunger and determination to steer the Gunners back to the summit of the Premier League. Accusing him shall be making a complete fool of us, and the signs are not really encouraging. While the German World Cup winner must be contented with Wenger splashing cash of his fellow countryman Shkodran Mustafi, Alexis is reported to have been demanding a release clause in his contract which promises to feature some solid wages as well, which clearly tells us about his knack to have the winners’ medals adorning the walls of his drawing room.
The two stars’ future at the Emirates Stadium seems to be hanging in the balance and losing out on the proven talismanic attackers is the last thing Arsenal want to face next summer. Arsenal have been spectacular in the transfer window but the act of convincing does not stop there. The runners-up from last season must replicate the ambition of the pitch to ensure they do not lose the duo owing to the lack of glories, for Arsenal’s story of rebuilding itself will suffer from a major punch in the belly if the foundation of their side in the partnership of Özil and Alexis ceases to exist.
