As if there was not enough anger and frustration among Arsenal fans already that Arsene Wenger had to further exacerbate it by publicly revealing that the contract talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are on a hold at the moment.
It was nothing hidden though as news outlets had reported it long back that the Chilean was demanding a fee, which was way higher than what Arsenal were willing to pay. With growing interests from Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and China, everyone thought that things couldn’t get any worse; when Arsenal decided to go on a losing spree.
When asked about Sanchez’s contract situation in a recent interview with beIN Sport, Wenger said, “Look, at the moment we have not an agreement. We have decided to focus on the end of the season and talk about it during the summer… once you don’t find an agreement and it lasts it is not good so it’s better you get it out and sit down during the summer.”
Clearly, it doesn’t sound like going in the right direction. But, should Arsenal wait till summer to convince Sanchez about an extension, it has to be at the back of a top four finish and an FA Cup title. Sanchez has clearly been Arsenal’s best player by a mile and Wenger is highly unlikely to get a good replacement in the immediate next season.
The Interlull has come in one of the worst time possible that has taken the frustration to the peak. Alexis Sanchez was subbed off in the last game against West Bromwich Albion when he was seen struggling with a sore ankle, and nothing is clear till now if the Chilean will take part in Arsenal’s campaign when Premier League resumes.
Arsenal fans will obviously want to see more of him as the season is heading towards a tight finish. Sanchez has scored 22 goals and provided 18 assists in 38 games for Arsenal, a tally very few have achieved in the past few seasons at Emirates. And given Wenger’s past actions, the Frenchman is unlikely to convince him beyond a certain point.
Sanchez’s contract expires next season and if Wenger remains adamant on keeping him till his contract expires, which he keeps reminding at press conferences, he will take self-foolery to the next level. And as far as Sanchez is concerned, going by Arsenal’s current season, nobody will re-sign a contract with the North London club.
However, if Arsene Wenger decides to stay, which the reports have been flooded with in the past one week, he surely will have to bring world-class candidates to build the squad around him. Furthermore, there is a nagging feeling among many that the Chilean is waiting patiently for the manager to leave the club at the end of the season.
