Per Mertesacker says that the club cannot lose any players they don’t want to this summer, and that Alexis Sanchez will definitely be at the club next season.
The captain knows that there’s intense pressure on the Gunners to mount a serious title challenge, and that it’s much more likely if the 30 goal Chilean remains in North London for the upcoming campaign.
He also sounded confident that Sanchez would be lining up alongside him when he returns from his summer holidays later this month.
“Yes, definitely,” he said when he was asked if the former Barcelona man would be at Arsenal next season
“We have a strong squad and we do not want to lose any players. Even in their final contract year we need them. We cannot afford to lose them. If you’re talking about championships, to keep our best player is key.
“I think he was impressive in the Confederations Cup, he’s now on holiday, so it’s quiet in terms of conversations.
“But he’s a warrior on the pitch. I think he wants to come back as quickly as possible – he hates holidays, he hates to calm down.
“I’m looking forward to playing alongside him in my last season and he thinks the same.”
Let’s hope he’s right, and maybe over the course of the next 12 months he can be convinced to stay longer.
Well that’s settled then!
Great stuff, no-one would dare go against the BFG.
Looking forward to seeing Alexis play, hope he signs.
Alexis is staying as per Per….
Puuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….
‘…he hates holidays, he hates to calm down.’
?
If you hate holidays, you love money. Makes sense to me, lol.
Nice triple, that.
Alexis, Lacazette and Ozil in attack will be quite interesting
With Mahrez as well.
LMAO.
Would be nice
Yea mahrez. Tho I’d prefer it to be mbappe..
This LMAO is way better
BFG – he’s the Beautiful Fucking German. Long may his reign continue.
Per wouldn’t lie to us
As much as I love our BFG, I wonder how much he is involved in our transfer dealings. Is he informed about targets?
He’s the most credible source of all to say anything about the situation and with the words “Yes definitely”. If anyone isn’t talking out of their ass it’s one of our team captains..
He’s not the type to talk nonsense either. A lot more credible than some anonymous source in the dail fail.
It is a players opinion – only Sanchez, his agent and Wenger know the truth..
Wenger said “Yes, definitely” to media 8 months ago and the guy still hasn’t signed. Everything depends on Alexis.
Hope you are right!
Remember that FA Cup interview where Alexis looked up lovingly at BFG as he spoke?
Just had to see that. Sweet. But also highlights, Alexis’ limited English and how frequent he is asked about his contract. Asked whether he thought the game had been won after he scored to 1-0: “Don’t know my friend (classic). I am just happy for the win. After, my agent will talk with Arsenal…” That’s great
BFG has spoken. The speculation is over. We’re happy, and Citeh fans are sad.
Always good when city fans are sad
Pep has to break the news to them gently.
While holding a big chocolate cake and some candles just in case it’s someone’s birthday. You just wont know which prima donna will be pissed to be without chocolate cake and pink candy icing.
Thanx, finally! I’m shutting my internet until the game against Leicester
?
City have fans?
Going to miss big Per when he hangs up his boots.
He will still be here running the Academy.
Oh yeah, but will miss him on the pitch.
I’ll take Per as our future manager whenever he’s ready
“I’m looking forward to playing alongside him in my last season and he thinks the same.”
I.e. Alexis is looking forward to playing alongside BFG in alexis’ last season?
When the BFG talks like this as our Captain, am a bit relieved. I think Sanchez will stay. Gooners, lets contnue showing him some love. He will sign
staying and signing are different. He doesn’t have to sign a contract to stay next year.
Yeah, I highly doubt he will re sign but a year of Alexis is worth more than whatever we would get for him. He doesn’t seem to be doing a Mahrez and trying to force his way out so much so I guess we shall see.
Alr he sounds authoritative and confident. our bfg definitely has the making of a wonderful manager
Would be unlike a smart man like Per to talk so assured unless je knew something..
I’ve thought he’d stay this season for sure, hopefully we can change his mind mid season..
All the comment from the club has been very consistent. He will not be sold to a premier league rival and will be with us nect season. I am increasingly confident that we are going to hold our position on this one. It is very important for Arsene that he plays his strongest hand this season
Arsene has said it multiple times now. Per has now just said it. If nothing else it puts huge pressure on the rest of the decision makers at the club (if there even are any). It will be completely unacceptable to do it, and today feels like the point of no return. It had been about a month with no comment, today it was reiterated again in a strong way. Can’t change the tune now without a complete riot. And they will have fresh in their minds what a negative fan atmosphere can do- and it will be worse than… Read more »
The more I mull this saga over, the more I think we just make him see out his contract. He’ll give his all even if he’s made to stay and keeping Alexis will give us the best possible chance of finishing high next season. Worst case scenario he leaves for free, but if we finish top two who cares – we’ve got the cash for replacements.
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Definitely stay to see out his contract or definitely stay after signing a new one? Would love him to sign new terms along with Ox and Ozil. That and the additions so far plus Lemar would be a perfect summer in the circumstances. Ah fuck it , throw in Mpape too for the perfect perfect summer
To be fair to Alexis if he is waiting to see if we actually turn up this season (for the whole season) I can understand that
Sanchez signing a new contract and us buying Lemar are probably mutually exclusive, because with Alexis around Lemar is only a back-up, and he wouldn’t want that long-term.
Mbappe might be the one available transfer Wenger thinks can unseat Alexis as early as this year; if he were to come (highly unlikely after Lacazette) it might mean Alexis is sold. I personally do not hope for this scenario.
Nonsense. Lemar is a totally different player to Alexis.
I think for the perfect summer we would also need a central midfielder. Nothing other than Santi/Coq at the start of the season and Ramsey/Xhaka at the end of the season seemed to really click. Given Santi is out for possibly the whole season maybe Wilshere could come back in and do a job if he’s also not out for too long, but I think his number might be up. For me it would be common sense to bring another midfielder in, unless there’s a youth player who is ready to step up. Maitland Niles? It seems Jon Toral isn’t… Read more »
I think much depends on Wilshere. If Wenger wants to keep him around we may not need another body in there. I don’t see why everyone is conveniently forgetting Elneny? He is a very reliable CM who has a great engine on him. I have no problems seeing him start alongside Xhaka.
Do it for Per.
This raises several dilemmas:
1. If he wants to leave and stays will he be fighting for the club or just “going through the motions” ?
2. If we can get £50 million plus now for him do we sell and invest or take the risk of him leaving for nothing ?
He is a great player but he is not the first neither will he be the last.
Arsenal will survive…
Cannot imagine Sánchez going through the motions. That guy loves to play, gives everything every time.
BFG coming in after a season injured and whipping that Chelsea a**, Legend.
BFG and Mad Jens will take no shit from Alexis!
I think what’s important here is that he’s not really saying or hinting that Alexis will sign a new contract, rather that Alexis will still be here, at least for the next year, whether he signs or not. And this information may be coming from his relationship with AW. Perhaps his soon to be new pos ition with Arsenal has made him privy to some inside info.
After this interview i’m actually certain Sanchez is staying, hard as it is to believe, he’s no spring chicken at 29 in December, so like Wenger said, it’s in his best interest to be of best behaviour and play his best for that one last year to ensure he gets the best deal in a year’s time when he leaves on a free, like Kolasinac did(150kweek sweet!). So expect the best of Sanchez, Ozil and Oxlade. maybe they’ll all resign when their best means we pull off the quintuple. Yes, I’m counting the community shield. On the BFG appointment, I… Read more »
It really doesn’t matter how many strikers we sign nor how many goals we score, if we can’t stop the opposition from scoring, or even get the ball back it will still be another nearly season.
Remember Garde, Stepanov, Djourou, Squillaci , Cygan ,Grimandi , Senderos ?
Wenger seems incapable or not interseted in signing any real quality defenders, just tippy tippy teenagers who are fine till we haven’t got the ball.
Dortmund kept Lewandowski in his last year of contract. We really should do the same with Sanchez
Love it! Real Captain’s talk from our BFG! Let’s see how the dirty tabloids try to negatively spin this one tomorrow.
Best piece of news. Captain is ITK. If we can hang on to him, we have enough in attacking third and maybe we will need to address deep midfield. But what a line up for us if he stays : ………………………………..Lacazette/Giroud/Welbeck…………………………….. ……………………..Ozil/Iwobi…………………..Alexis/Walcott…………………….. ………………….Granit/(New Player)……….Ramsey/Coquelin……………………. Kolasinac/Monreal……………………………………………………………Bellerin/Ox …………..Koscielny/(Gabriel)………Mustafi/Per………..Holding/Chambers…….. ………………………………….Cech/Ospina/Martinez………………………………… Santi is a bonus if he can get fit. Don’t like Elneny but he’ll hover around the periphery bc of mediocrity …a good pair of lungs to cover for Santi I suppose. Much prefer we keep Jack as the spare. There’s your 25+ players for the season IMO. Would still love to see… Read more »
Preach it Per!
I choose to believe our BFG
In the end may depend on interest from PSG or Inter. Bayern looked to have oved on with James Rodriguez loan. Should it be down to just City (at 90m priced to keep) I suppose Wenger will see it as 35m ammortised over his fourth season with us is equivalent to signing him for 9m thereabouts which is a good deal even if he should leave end of the coming season. So if no one other than City, he may stay with his options thinned out. I think if he stays Giroud may leave. If he leaves but we sign… Read more »
If staying means he resigns great news… However if just to leave for nothing next summer ? I say let him go now and with the money we get, put it towards a replacement for the next 5 / 4 years
City. If you want Alexis, then we’re going to want Kevin de Breuyne in exchange, plus at least 15 million stop pissing around and offer that in the next week.
If not able to do that then F&*$ off tapping up our player or we’ll see you in court