Arsenal fans remain in a constant state of fear and agony until the club announces any update on the contract situations of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. Honestly, they won’t shed much tears in case the German international decides to leave, for as much of an important player he has been last season, he has definitely not been the game changer.
However, the Chilean’s case is a bit different. Despite Arsenal’s poor season in the Premier League, which saw them finishing outside the top four for the first time in two decades, Sanchez hasn’t seen a dip in form by a fraction. He works for two strikers up front, is tireless and injuries don’t seem to even touch him.
The 28-year-old has scored 30 goals and provided 19 assists in all competitions for Arsenal and is clearly Arsenal’s man for big occasions. He is Arsene Wenger’s greatest weapon even on foreign soil. He has scored 18 goals and provided six assists away from home. Arsenal fans have even named a stand at Emirates to his dogs (Atom and Humber). And every time his face cringes in pain or frustration, or he sits down on his haunches following a disappointing result, they go into depression too.
Among his many suitors, remain Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich, who are going through a transitory stage at the moment. With the likes of Philip Lahm and Xabi Alonso already gone, they have already started seeking replacements. And Franck Ribery’s possible retirement soon is seen by Sanchez taking that position.
Clearly, Sanchez is a winner and Arsenal last season didn’t play anything he would want to be associated with. And their falling out of Europe is seen by many as a chance to take him away, with media not making it any easier for the fans. But, Wenger has time and again given his assurance that Alexis will definitely not the leave the club until his contract expires, or at least that’s what he plans to do with him.
In his recent interview with beIN Sport, he said, “… you cannot weaken the club and weaken the team … unless you find a player of the same calibre and they absolutely want to leave. I believe that at the moment we are not on that front. We are just focused on keeping the team together.”
Arsenal’s next step idealistically would be to get in a couple of world class players, which has been their need for a decade now, to help Sanchez. The Chilean has reportedly demanded a wage somewhere in the region of £350,000 a week, which is clearly too much for Arsenal to give. But, after all that assurances Wenger and Stan Kroenke gave on the event of his contract extension, we expect the side push their limits.
