Arsene Wenger stated that they are currently addressing the contract situation of Alexis Sanchez which is set to end after the season. He remains hopeful of re-signing the Chilean although the January transfer window brings with it all sorts of possibilities.
Controversies of Sanchez leaving, along with Mesut Ozil, arose when they declined the club’s offer of an extension in the summer. Manchester City was considerably interested in signing the attacker and had placed a bid of around £60million, which was rejected by the Gunners. After failing to sign Thomas Lemar from Monaco as his replacement, Wenger decided to stick with the 28-year-old for the 2017-18 season.
Even if Arsenal meets his lofty wage demands, it is highly unlikely Sanchez would remain at the side for long. He has openly expressed his frustration with the side after their failure to qualify for the Champions League last season with a disappointing 6th spot finish in the Premier League. Arriving at the club from a title-hungry side like Barcelona, Sanchez expected at least a title win in his 4 years at the club but was the victim of a 10-2 thrashing to Bayern Munich last season, as they were eliminated from Europe.
Willing to take his talents elsewhere and win silverware more frequently, the Chilean international was disappointed when his transfer talks did not materialise. A thorough professional with a relentless work ethic, Sanchez has still been a key component under Wenger this season. Some fans would argue his form has dipped ever since the transfer saga surrounding him surfaced, but the rest are still convinced over his irreplaceable quality for their side.
Manchester City are heavy favourites to land the playmaker with Pep Guardiola eager to add more players to his squad. The noisy neighbours are currently cruising in the Premier League with an 11 point lead ahead of rivals and a top spot finish in the group stages of the Champions League.
Competing for multiple trophies is no easy feat and it demands a heavy squad depth. Even with a star-stacked attacking lineup, Sanchez might take the spot of Raheem Sterling alongside Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva if he does end up moving to Manchester.
Sanchez has also been linked to PSG earlier in the summer. They were interested in signing him along with Neymar but with Arsenal’s reluctance to let him go, they decided to pursue Monaco youngster, Kylian Mbappe and ended up signing him on a loan deal with an option to buy him back next season.
so is there any chance for Arsenal to retain Sanchez beyond the summer?
