Laurent Koscielny says that Alexis Sanchez is a rare talent, and one that the club must keep as he heads towards the final year of his contract.
There has been intense speculation about the Chilean’s future, but after a season in which he’s scored 28 goals and made 14 assists, his contribution to the team is impossible to overlook.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Koscielny said, “Firstly, he scored a lot of goals for us but his first job is not to be a striker, it is more midfield but he is an unbelievable player. He just wants to fight and have the best result for the club.
“When you have a player like this in your team, to show the way we want to grow together, it is important and I think he has a lot of players behind him to keep him.
“I don’t think there are a lot of players like him and a player like this who can be the difference during the game, it’s rare.
“We want to keep him with us because we know he is so important for our team.”
There were reports of a mid-season bust-up, and that relationships in the dressing room have been strained at times. However, it was a training ground set-to with Koscielny that led to Sanchez being dropped for the Liverpool game, and if the French international is so firm about how important Sanchez is, I think we can take it as read everything’s ok now.
The former Barcelona man has two more games this season to hit the 30 goal mark, a couple against both Everton and Chelsea at Wembley would do nicely, thanks.
I don’t think it comes down to just £’s with Alexis.
We don’t just need to keep Alexis, we need to keep a happy and content Alexis which will mean showing a lot of ambition.
Can’t say I’m confident we’ll do whatever’s necessary to put us where we need to be, can’t say I’m confident Arsene is the man to do it even if we were.
I don’t understand how can anyone downvote such a comment, even a blind man can see these concerns.
I always down vote those who complain about downvotes even if I agree with the initial comment.
Sanchez = Chilean Panda
Chilean demon bunny
If Alexis can grab two goals on Sunday and we don’t concede then he’ll get the golden boot!
Which makes it baffling that the pfa team of the season is decided even before the season is over.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t know if there are any other top leagues where the official toty is decided before the year is over? Last I checked, spain, italy and germany haven’t announced theirs yet.
But what do I know, the English league is the best and people who can punt it and run arrnd a bit are the stars I guess.
Sanchez can be incredibly frustrating to watch sometimes. Breaks up our attacking moves a lot of the time by refusing the simple pass or lay up to another player when his back is facing the goal etc. But on the flip side, he’s such a go getter. Tracks back, takes men on, always trying to make something happen. He has the desire and energy that a lot of players lack and we all wish they had. On the balance of it all, it seems players like this either become team players or you need to tailor a team around them,… Read more »
Lots of deadweight ? Who are they all ?
Gibbs, Walcott, Gabriel, Debuchy, Mertesacker, even Ramsey and Coquelin can all do with replacing.
Giroud, Iwobi, El Neny, Jenkinson can be added to the list as well
And giroud with his shitty winners and equalisers. Iwobi is bollox and cant even run.
Wagnar OUT!
Winner’s that’s won us what?
They’re not good enough, otherwise we’d be winner
And what has alexis win you? He should be sold. He is the one that is unbalancing the team. Wenger made alexis better. Same is Ozil. Let them go. They are replaceable.
Is the C in your name for Cockhead?
don’t ever mention Iwobi as a deadweight!!!
Iwobi’s Championship standard, sorry to break it to you
To be fair, ElNeny, when he has come in, has done a job. In addition it seems he has been stifled somewhat in order to fit in with the ‘Arsenal’ style. He has a wand of a right foot but was told immediately to curb it. As for Giroud, he is a very good player as an alternative, as a substitute and against the right opposition. He is very useful. Iwobi, young and developing, nothing hugely special, but has the potential to be. I can see him either becoming a top striker, or like a Walcott – neither here nor… Read more »
And yet with 103 unmatched goals compared to top wingers and about 50 assist. Walcott, a true servant of the club. Abuse by fans despite his contribution, yet he will not complain. He did not move when others were moving. He stayed through thick and thin with the club. Welbec that is not categorised as a deadwood started his professional career in 2006 and has played mostly as a striker. Can you check his total goal and assist? Anybody calling Walcott, a 19 goal scorer with fewer minute than alexis a deadwood is just too myopic and an enemy of… Read more »
So as per your definition,subs are always dead weights ?
Fuck walcott and his 20 goals
If all of our players are so good, why do they lose so often?
Because in the 4-2-3-1 formation we have used, our defense was exposed. Our fullbacks get up field and Wenger did not do a good job buying a “destroyer” type of midfielder who can provide cover for the centerbacks. Instead he relies on our midfielders to dominate possession and control the game with passing. When Cazorla went down it coincided with Ramsey being hurt and Elneny going to the Africa Cup of Nations. At the time Xhaka was playing like shit and Coquelin had lost all sense of position on the field. Now our team is healthier and our new formation… Read more »
Exactly right. Cazorla, a completely different type player, turned out to be our Busquets.
And there is a long list of factors that affect results that have little to to do with the players, things like formation, tactical preparation, motivation, confidence, morale and etc.
Well, they don’t. They just loose on the trot when they do, which shows poor management on part of Wenger. The same team was demolishing teams till November and then, cazorla’s injury happened. Wenger couldn’t find a solution to his absence in time and also, for some god forsaken reason, moved Alexis back to wings. The players didn’t take time to become good again. The management took time to fix the team formation and playing style. Our players are good. I believed in them at the beginning of the season and I believe in them now. I don’t believe in… Read more »
Talking about Debuchy:
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/marko-arnautovic-shows-arm-in-plaster-cast-after-arsenal-challenge/story-30338158-detail/story.html
Debuchy sends his thanks to Holding.
Walcott score 19 this season, that is no dead weight. Football game is about scoring goals. We all have been happy about Ox lately but how many goals does he score ?
Sanchez is a shiny Pokemon card
Sign him up. Just as long as he doesn’t do a Santi and miss most of the season.
I think that one of the keys to keep Sanchez is Özil. He seems over happy to play and combine with him. The debate Sanchez or Özil is beyond stupidity.
For comparison, goals and assists for some of Europe’s best all-round attackers in league play only (Europe is for glory-hunters): Leo Messi: 35 and 9 Luis Suarez: 28 and 13 Alexis Sanchez: 23 and 11 Dries Mertens: 25 and 8 Lorenzo Insigne: 16 and 8 Mauro Icardi: 24 and 8 Antoine Griezmann: 16 and 7 Alejandro Gomez: 14 and 10 Kylian Mbappe: 14 and 8 Emil Forsberg: 8 and 18 Kevin De Bruyne: 6 and 16 Neymar: 13 and 11 Mohamed Salah: 13 and 11 Sadio Mane: 13 and 5 P. Coutinho: 12 and 7 Arjen Robben: 12 and 7… Read more »
How could leave out the magnificent Gylfi Sigurdsson = 9 goals and 13 assists for Swansea. Singlehandedly almost kept them in the EPL. Wrath of the vikings may descend upon you for this kaius…
Yes, and he missed out on a PFA nomination as well so I should have given him a shout. Better numbers than Ozil (8 and 8), Coutinho (12 and 7) and David Silva (4 and 7).
He really is named after a king from Norse mythology too.
such an ignorant way at looking at players impact in a game.
So is this is best season and everything is down from here?
It’s interesting that C Ronaldo doesn’t appear on this list.
I wonder what his assist total in the league looks like this season?
22 goals 6 assist in league
Ronaldo is going downhill by the look of it.
Downhill with another league title where he is scoring decisive goals and perhaps a CL trophy with highest scoring record after winning the Euros and being a solid captain.
He is a twit but he is impossible to dismiss.
Bas Dost on Sporting CP in Portugal has 31 goals in 28 games too.
No Ronaldo too…
Wow good shout. Those are incredible numbers from Dost. He had a great partnership with De Bruyne at Wolfsburg.
Zidane is using him exclusively as a striker so I left Cristiano out.
Arsenal is supposedly the only “big” club that I know that can’t keep there best players because of money.
We can’t not keep them for money, we lose them because of a lack of ambition!
If the contract negotiation still stale this summer for Alexis, i’ll still keep him until his contract expires next season, the guy is the like who loves football and always give 100% on the pitch, keep him, show him that our club really want to change next season and can compete with other elites in PL. If next year we still could not challenge for the title then unfortunately he will leave on a free transfer but it’s not his fault, it’s our club’s ineptitude fault. If that really happens, i hope our fans can open their eyes and realize… Read more »
The problem with this is that most fans think it’s moronic to have him stay on without signing a new contract. They prefer we cash in on him now and avoid losing him on a free. For me, if Alexis doesn’t sign in June, I’d rather we keep him and show some ambition. If we don’t collapse by February or March, then I’m sure he’ll accept a new contract.
Really, you have to cajole to get the green thumbs up. Well done. Very classy 😉