Despite intense speculation about his future, Alexis Sanchez has not told Arsenal he wants to leave the club.
That’s according to Arsene Wenger who gave a resolute ‘no’ when asked if that were the case at a press conference in Australia earlier today. The manager was quizzed about the future of the Chilean – who some reports say wants £400,000 a week to sign a new contract – and said that it’s not 100% that this will be his last season at the club.
Denying stories he’s told the Gunners he wants out and favours a move to Man City, the Frenchman said, “The easiest way to manage the players in the final year of their contracts is it’s in his interest to do as well as he can.
“Nobody knows today if Sanchez will be in the final year of his contract next season because he can as well extend his contract with us at the start of the season or during the season.
“It’s not necessarily the last year of his contract at Arsenal.”
Sanchez is currently on holiday after playing in the Confederations Cup, and won’t return to England until later this month. Until there’s some clarity about his situation though, Wenger can expect to be fielding more questions about the leading goalscorer from last season.
Somehow, I believe that he will sign on, and dominate the league with The Arsenal.
COYRRG
I don’t think he’ll like being on 150k next season, or whatever, when he could be on 300k. That may motivate him to sign.
Then again he would compensate it handsomely with a hefty sign-on bonus a free agent like him is.bound to get.
Good point. His potential problem is that he must have injuries soon given his size and the physicality he plays with. If he gets one towards the end of the season then that will harm his transfer potential. He’s not getting any younger.
Plus does he want to be seen as someone for who money is the most important thing? Or an Arsenal legend, see RVP?
I can’t help but draw parallels with Ibra’s reluctance to extend the deal with manure last season. The waiting game ultimately backfired when the body suddenly buckled under many years of pressure.
RVP is a cunt but he did immediately win the league with those gloryholes (combination of glory hunters and something else) as much as it pains me to remember that.
And if he’d stayed with us he may well have won the league. We had a better defence in 2012-13 than Man U and scored 14 less goals. Taking RVP away from them and keeping him with us would have helped us a lot, potentially winning the league.
So he could have been an Arsenal legend and won the league. Instead…
You mean winning the FA cup?
Both for us selling RvP and them buying him was a major gamble. Unfortunately one that we lost, but that doesn’t chance the basic issue with RvP that he was usually Injured. One minor tackle in his first game for them and he could well have spent the season on their physios table. Equally he could have stayed with us and been even more likely to be injured without the PGMO/ManU protection deal… Shit happens and life goes on…
Can someone suggest who could be a like for like replacement for Sanchez? I cannot think of one, especially for the prices being thrown around. If he is asking for 400K per week, that is £60million or so. Replacing him with a player of lower calibre could easily cost upwards of £80million. So to me, it makes financial sense to give him the bigger contract.
For next year, no one who’s available. But I think the boss is thinking someone like Lemar has the skillset to become a Sanchez replacement, with the right coaching. Remember, in a few years, even Sanchez isn’t a good facsimile of Sanchez.
For next year, though, the only person who can fill the penetration role in the team adequately is Sanchez himself. That’s why he won’t be sold for anything less than silly money.
Replacement for Sanchez will need two players.
We have already put one in place in Lacazette to cover his goal efficiency.
IF he should leave, we are in position to add another of Lemar or Mahrez to replace his ‘creativity’. Personally I feel we should get the latter bc he also adds that technical gift/unpredictability to the squad.
Adding two to replace one also hedges against injury and spreads that risk.
It’s all about Alexis being happy. The contract must be sold and he must be signed to leave a free for a big sum. I’d say 100M less than Lukuku for the sake of Gazidis announce Kronke
He wants to squeeze as much as money as possible from the club (or another club), which is what any employee would look to do I guess. As long as he bangs in another 30 goals this season and wins us the league, it’s all good.
some transfer tittle tattle here
I think Arsene is being pretty clear that he’s going to let Alexis’ contract run down. He’s shopping for a replacement, but if he doesn’t find value in one, he’ll commit to Alexis. If you take his replacement to be on £160k/week wage (Ramsey money), at £400k over 4 years Alexis is asking for £50 million overtop the wages of his replacement. I think that represents Arsene’s shopping money for a replacement, and he’ll see if he can get anyone who in a year has the potential to be as good as Alexis. Lemar apparently fits the bill, if we… Read more »
Thats it. If he is forced to stay and doesnt sign, he is throwing around 8m pounds down the drain. So I reckon he is likely to sign an extension with a buy out clause so if he does go the following year, Arsenal get a big reward. If Lukaku is worth 75m, Alexis must be worth more. surely.
I don’t know if he’ll be worth more. He’s older–Lukaku has 6 or more years left as a top premier league player, Alexis maybe three. He’s almost a rental on his next contract. 3 years on £330k with a £40 million buyout clause makes sense to all parties once the season starts, provided Arsene doesn’t find someone who possesses Alexis’ gift of breaking down defenses (and with perhaps a little more dribbling efficiency). It gives us some control over the player after the year’s up, because City will have to meet both the buyout and high wages (they won’t, which… Read more »
Wenger was speaking like someone who says: It is also possible that next year, it doesn’t rain all year long. Last season, he was saying he didn’t know why people were asking him about the contract situation of someone who still has two years to go.
Not necessarily his fault but he is a manager who find his best player without new contract less than one month before new season but saying he may sign during the season. Strange way of conducting business. There have been clubs who gave the player a deadline.
If you (as manager) have been discussing the renewal of a players contract for the last 18 months with him (His agent) but haven’t got his agreement yet, then what else do you say without creating a media shit-storm ?
As a club we try not to do our deals in public.
Also, don’t forget that Puma’s sponsorship needs re-upped by 2019, with those negotiations happening next summer. If Puma want to re-up, they’ll surely see us as their marketing jewel (the next highest profile Puma club is Dortmund, which doesn’t appeal much outside Europe). You could see a combined effort of the club and sponsor to bring a premier Puma athlete to Arsenal to replace Cazorla in marketing ads on the eve of the new deal (Ozil, Alexis, and Ramsey, the natural choices on the team, have other sponsors and can’t appear in Puma ads). A natural choice is Griezmann (Puma’s… Read more »
This is the sort of wild speculation I can get on board with!
This sounds like a hype train! Hold the doors I’m just buying a ticket.
In all seriousness though, I genuinely think a light has switched and we would throw a mountain of cash at the right player…it’s whether they come to us.
It’s amazing how many people have come because of Wenger or how they idolised Henry or our style of play etc.
I feel we’re running out of time to have that as our draw so we need to build again somewhat.
With one or two more class additions I’m genuinely excited for the upcoming season. COYG!
CHOO CHOO!
funny you say that cause one of lacazette best mate is griezman …
Well said sir
where do people get info on salaries? Ramsey in no way is making that much.
There was something that came out last month saying that Ramsey got moved to joint highest salary at the end of the season and extended past 2018. Last year Alexis and Ozil were on £140k, and I factored in a 15% wage rise year over year that’s pretty typical for players in their prime.
This will become a saga now
Reporters tried to catch the Boss at a weak moment, fatigued from his big flight. Yet again though he reveals nothing we didnt already know. What a pro, even when jetlagged.
Can we stop hating on Alexis? I mean, logically if I was in his shoes I’d like to make as much money as I could while challenging for trophies. It’s the art of negotiating anyway. And I know if I give my all, the fans will back me. Also if somewhere down the line we win the league (hey, a man can dream right?) and reenter UCL, that might in someways convince him to sign a new contract and fight for UCL with us. I love Alexis for what he’s done for us. I agree no player is bigger than… Read more »
Left to do the negotiating for themselves then lots of players aren’t so worried by the salary (when you earn £5.2m plus per year then you’ll never have to work again anyway).
However the agents are the real money grabbers who use the line about looking after their players as an excuse to make themselves richer…
We’ll still be The Arsenal no matter what happens. I’m just want it done and dusted. But Alexis to City? I’m not fucking having that.
I*
Apologies. I’m clearing still sleeping.
Yeh if he goes to a domestic rival, the fans will riot.
Im trying not to get carried away, but thats about as clear as Wenger could get that he’s holding Sanchez to his contract. Starting to get a little giddy now 😀
Have to agree with comment below. Sanchez with additions to squad is a potential title winner for us next season. He won’t want to “underplay” as it effects his free transfer value – let’s get a season more out of him, win and hope he commits when we’re six points clear!!!!
I don’t think sanchez could underplay even if he wanted to.
He has no control over the energy he uses.
Exactly, with the new additions and maybe one or two more plus Alexis and not playing UCL we could easily won the league like chelsea did last year with a squad tat had not depth like ours now. So winning the league with alexis or pocketing 50miil and going one step backwards, i think wenger already choose the first one no matter if alexis signed on not he is going all in for the league even if we lose him for 50mil. And at the end of the season if we win the league it will be greatest risk ever… Read more »
I don’t think the decision is made up on either side, hence Arsene saying ‘not necessarily’. But Arsene is a numbers guy, so let’s dive into his mind and accent: As an asset to Arsenal, Alexis is now worth ~£50m (conservative estimate). Sell him now and make a tiny profit of about £3.6m over the buying price of £31.4 and an estimated salary of £15m so far (is that more? I can’t be arsed to look it up). At £350k/pw for 3 years we’ll pay him 54.6m; but he’ll be sold after 2 seasons, so that’s £36.4m – £30m in… Read more »
I’m not sure the manager or the club would gamble that the Chinese league will be in a position to buy him in 2 or 3 years time, so even that 30m is a variable. Maybe more but maybe a lot less.
Dont forget that by giving Alexis 400K/W all the agents of other players will demand more as well. If on average we give each player 50K more per week thats more than 60 Mil per year.
So its obvious that either keeping him for one more year or giving him a new contract not worth over 300K/W is the right decision.
Giving him 400K/W means trying for the trophy for 2-3 more years then going bankrupt. So Arsene, being a numbers guy, would never do it.
I think this is Arsenal’s old way of thinking when the books barely balanced with net zero player investment. Now, with the team £100 million a year in the black before player purchases, the calculus is different. While selling this year is the most profitable for the club (since soon Alexis won’t be a world beater, because what happened to Santi will eventually happen to him), what’s really on Wenger’s mind is the cost of filling the role in the club this year and into the future. This year, i think, it has to be Alexis. It’s expensive, roughly costing… Read more »
I don’t know why you lot are saying it’s finally clear Wenger won’t sell Alexis-I thought he made it sufficiently clear in his interview with BeinSports in the start of June (you can still find it on Arseblog News)
You’re right, he did already say it. But then repeating it again, in such blunt fashion, just makes it all the more untenable to go back on it. Which is why, I for one, am starting to get quite excited about our attack next season.
That gave me some hope again 🙂
My fear is Arsene is bluffing….if the destination is City then the only way to extort as much from them is to play hardball. Did we not do exactly the same with RVP until Man U met our valuation??
Do we ever believe anything Wenger or any other managers say in press conferences?
I’m fairly certain we’re not selling, and I’m even more certain that, given the price we will quote, City won’t be buying. If you look at his wage demands and the fee we will demand, then look at the squad they have and the players already vying for the positions that Sanchez likes to play, it just doesn’t really make sense for anyone involved. The more likely situations have been listed below, Sanchez staying on and signing a smaller contract with a release clause, or seeing the whole thing out. Its starting to look like we have called his (and… Read more »
I have no idea what the chances are but I really hope Man City lose their case up in front of court sporting arbitration and get handed a 2 window transfer ban. Then if we keep Sanchez this window he won’t be able to sign for Man City next year.
Fingers crossed. Seriously, where did the FFP rules go? I know teams like Man City have found ways around them. Why haven’t UEFA tightened the reigns? I know….money. moneymoneymoneymonaaay…..MONNNAAAYYY!
UEFA basically dropped them thanks to PSG, Man City and clubs like that
Two things: Why is Arsenal only offering 2 years? Shouldn’t the minimum be 3 years with more likely 4? That would take Sanchez to 32-33 years of age. With all the sports nutrition and training now that seems to be the end of peak years. Second, it seems like Arsene is in la la land. Sanchez wants to leave, he hasn’t signed the contract on offer. Arsene acts like it’s not a big deal but the club have been dealing with this for over a year now with no resolution. The only thing that could “solve” it for me is… Read more »
Its not like City will simply leave the spot blank if they want someone to fill a position. We can always refuse to sell him and see what the landscape looks like next year – maybe we finish ahead of City. It’s not like he has clubs rushing out to meet his massive wage demands right now.
Sanchez won’t sign 4 years (he probably won’t sign anything this summer, but there’s no way he signs for 4). He’ll want to make sure that he gets both one more signing bonus as well as an opt-out of Arsenal if things go to shite after Wenger leaves.
What makes you think we’re only offering him a 2 year deal?
Its a question of who comes in for him. There may be interest in him later i window form say Inter or PSG. If the offer is good enough (for a 29yr old), he will be sold and we will add a Mahrez or Lemar. No big issue. We’ve already added Lacazette as precaution so we are not in a bad position in bargaining terms. There may also be (as Wenger has alluded) a chance that he may stay and even extend but I feel we are waiting to see what some continental teams do once they line up their… Read more »