Ivan Gazidis says that Arsenal’s decision to keep Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil this summer shows that the club are not driven by financial imperatives, and insists that only those on the inside really know what’s going on when it comes to the contractual stand-offs of the two star players.
Both expire next June and there currently appears to be little chance of either of them extending, but the chief executive hinted that the demands made from the players side are part of the inability to find an agreement.
With players at a point in their careers where their next contract is likely to be their last big one, the wage packets will be an issue, but that still doesn’t alter the fact that the club’s lack of success at Premier League and Champions League level will be a significant factor too.
Speaking with reference to the sale of Robin van Persie to Manchester United in 2012, Gazidis said, “We were told then that we were financially motivated and not focused on football.
“This summer, with stronger underlying financials, we have taken a different tack. The decisions on Alexis and Mesut Ozil are certainly not decisions that fit the narrative that we put money first.
“We have taken that approach to give the club the best possible chance to compete for trophies this season.”
He then addressed their futures, and difficulties of getting contract extensions done.
“You don’t always have a choice of where you sell a player – nor do you control whether a player extends with you or what demands their agent makes,” he said.
“None of this information is going to be in the public domain. Those on the outside don’t know the dynamics, don’t know the demands being made, don’t know the constraints.
“It’s quite possible that, in retrospect, people may say that some of the decisions we have made this summer prove to be wrong or foolhardy.
“We need to be humble, continue to learn and continue to evolve our thinking and our approach, but it’s also absolutely clear that the decisions we’ve made don’t fit the narrative from some that we are financially motivated.”
I think he’s missing the point. We are not saying the club is financially motivated, it’s just poorly managed in terms of transfers and contract extensions. Wouldn’t we have a better bargaining position if we had made serious attempts to extend their contracts earlier?
I take your point about poor management in transfers (particularly) and contract extensions, but how can you say that Alexis and Ozil’s contract situation was mishandled? Do we know when first contact was made, what the offer was and what the player demands were?
Yes, we don’t because none of this is ever revealed. But how often do we see this happening at our Premier League rivals? You are as clueless as me as to when they made first contact but first contact is not an end, it is how much we want it to ensure that talks continue throughout rather than let it drag on and postpone talks till end of season (as was the public message every year since 3 years ago), and why can’t I be questioning about the way things are being managed? Do I have no right as a… Read more »
How often do we see this happening at our rivals? Well, United have 10 players in the last year of their contracts (and before you say they probably are not stars, list includes Mata, Fellaini, Blind, Young, Carrick and Herrera). Chelsea cocked up with Diego Costa. I know Fergie would have liked to keep Carlos Tevez at United when they gambled and failed and he moved to City. Things go on at other clubs but because Arsenal fans readily gobble up the negative stuff about our club, as presented by the media, we are kept as if in perpetual crisis… Read more »
This is without even mentioning Liverpool. And, by the way, even Alex Ferguson, an immense budget, and a haul of trophies couldn’t keep Man United’s best player (Ronaldo) when he wanted to leave.
I think what differs is the fact that our top players end up going to rival clubs in the Premier League. That’s the huge difference. For the last 5 years or more both Manchester clubs have been raiding our first team, taking all of our best players, and it looks like with the Sanchez and Ozil situation that it is about to happen again. And if you look at it, all of Man Uniteds huge stars over the years that ended up leaving in controversial situations under Fergie i.e. David Beckham, Ronaldo etc.. they all moved abroad for huge money.… Read more »
Isn’t simply that Saurez wanted to not risk injury? Plus having a release trigger in a contract forced Liverpools hand and give him what he wanted salary wise possibly? Still be allowed to transfer out the following summer. Ozil and Sanchez are willing to take that risk?
Back then who was going to pay more the ManU for any player in the Prem? I don’t thinkn Chelsea or Man City were money rich back then or good enough?
I can accept this point of view, but we genuinely have no idea what agents are doing or what their agendas are. Having worked in the sports industry, I know for a fact that agents make contact with other clubs to fit their own agendas. It can kind of go like this: Player X is represented by Agent Y. X is fine at their club but Y needs to keep the cash coming in (either for themselves or their agency/organisation). Y will go make contact with clubs (‘Hey I represent X and reckon I could get them interested in you…’… Read more »
This is why Arsenal is where it is, both position and standingwise, in the Premier League and Europe respectively. That’s because of the wishy washy demands a large part of the supporters put on the club. People pay good money to see a team that’s not living up to expectations. Sanchez and Ozil are our Messi and Iniesta. They are frustrated because management have not given them the support they need to WIN. Ozil is orchestrator extraordinaire. Who runs the German team? Mueller is the only other player I put in Ozil’s class. He has played for Germany for the… Read more »
Dude the German national team has the best keeper in the world and arguably 2 of the top 5 defenders in hummels and boateng.
Khedira is also quality if you ask me.
Ozil is their best attack minded player and muller has been pretty shit recently
Big money that for Carl walker. Must be decent
Well put, i rest my case.
How often do we see this happening at our rivals? Well, United have 10 players in the last year of their contracts (and before you say they probably are not stars, list includes Mata, Fellaini, Blind, Young, Carrick and Herrera). Chelsea cocked up with Diego Costa. I know Fergie would have liked to keep Carlos Tevez at United when they gambled and failed and he moved to City. Things go on at other clubs but because Arsenal fans readily gobble up the negative stuff about our club, as presented by the media, we are kept as if in perpetual crisis… Read more »
Yeah – we stalled initially when they asked for more money two years ago and said no… so here we are. Gazidis has no real point here because they did try and sell Alexis, the deal only fell through because we tried to get a £60M transfer done with about 10 minutes of the window remaining. So what he is saying is total bollocks basically. And I think that yes the club have totally missed the point; the fans think they’re all financially motivated because we have hundreds of milllions of pounds in cash reserves yet we are constantly told… Read more »
Alright, there’s a lot of stupidity, bad management, procrastination and naivety. But financial motives are also present too. Otherwise you would’ve just given them what they wanted, when they wanted. You spend a decade promising us world class players, then you buy world class players, tell us they are world class players but won’t pay them world class wages or show them top club ambition. Of course they won’t be signing new contracts.
Iama Goober and Mein Bergkampf you’re both totally correct, selling Van Persie wasn’t a sign of being financially motivated anymore than keeping Sanchez and Ozil is proof we’re not and as IamaGoober said we did try and sell Sanchez anyway!
“because they did try and sell Alexis”, Someone made an offer for him, which isn’t quite the same as ‘trying to sell’ a player.
I do get your point, but it’s not quite that black and white.
These players were good last week but I still want them out in January. They don’t want to stay ? They must go. Ozil had one great game but what has been the contribution of these two this season so far ? We are 9 points behind.
We had the chance to extend their contracts.but because they are so incompetent the blow it. Now they all trying to make bloody excuses.
Your moniker reminds me of my friend who is now a mother of twins
The players and their agents know that the longer to they wait the better. They would be their clients to hold out. So we can’t lay the blame squarely on the club only
Of course. I don’t understsnd why these guys keep talking in gargoyle. Arsenal had been money driven until the huge sums of money landed on the Premier League two seasons ago. And how has Arsenal changed? None! They are not better than the top six teams. Even though Liverpool is down in the dumps right now, they are better than Arsenal – hungrier!!! That to me is part legacy and part MANAGER. Liverpool has a more storied legacy to defend, but the legacy for Arsenal will only improve when thinking at the top change. Arsenal need a new young manager.… Read more »
Oh please! Imagine the backlash from the supporters if you sold both our star players. And we almost sold Sanchez to city.
If they had been replaced with similar quality, I imagine they’d have gotten over it pretty quickly.
People going after Gazidis are missing the point. He wanted Wenger gone. The issue with the club has nothing to do with spending or personnel, and everything to do with how it’s managed. Ask Spurs (who will finish above us this season) who has spent more on their squad. It’s about the manager, not the players.
You might as well be a Spurs fan if you can believe so much in their success and not ours. Go on, be miserable, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What’s the point in showing us the comments that are awaiting moderation? Surely the moderation is to protect our poor, innocent eyes from the perceived vulgarity of the post. I mean, I don’t get the moderation thing at all really. We are all aware that some people are dicks and what they say is dumb and offensive. This is the internet afterall. But the constant comment moderating stops any chance of coherent conversation taking place. And isn’t that the beauty of arseblog? Fans from all around the world chatting to each other about Arsenal? Not waiting 12 hours to have… Read more »
I do agree. It feels like a waste of wit when faced with a 12 hour
wait to be judged upon the merit of ones views. I’m like, gosh, hurry up and judge me already
Wow. Truth hurts, I guess.
The fact that financials aren’t everything is fairly clear to many readers here. Baselessly assuming that we will do worse than the spurs overall when it’s not even November is not a ‘truth’. It is an assumption, an opinion, and one that is deeply offensive to this demographic. You have no basis for that comparison, don’t call it a ‘truth’.
I.e., if it was about spending, we’d be above Spurs. Figure it out, folks!
We have been above them for 20 yrs
Absolutely. It is not always about spend, spend, spend. What manager you have counts too.
And if we finish above them like we usually do
Then we can all laugh and be jolly. What else.
It is about the manager. He tends to lie too much these days.
There 1 point ahead of us why is it so certain they will finish above us?
The stoke game was just one of those that happens at least a few times even to champions.
The Liverpool game was a fuck up and the Watford game was a dive combined with a team that suddenly gained all the momentum.
I think we have conceded some sloppy defensive goals but overall it’s not been the worst season so far just looks awful because city have started so well (setting record for points after 10 games)
He is using the non sales as an example of the club’s ambition and trying to prove the club puts success on the field before profit.
We all know this is all down to incompetence within the club.
Let’s see what happens in January . If either or both or sold it will make his statement look rediculas as I’m sure we will still have something to play for and therefore the reason he uses for not selling them will stand.
Have a feeling that statement could come back an bite him on the bollox if he has any.
And if they are not sold, does that make you any less smarter? Fact is it is always a no-win situation for Arsenal with some of the fans and pundits. If we sold, they will play the love of money card. Now, we didn’t, the “incompetence” card is being played. We all know how weakened we will be without Alexis and Ozil, so I will rather give credit to the management of the club for not selling (or selling only if there’s a good replacement in).
My thinking behind the lack of investment this summer (we made a net gain in transfers) is that we are ‘banking’ money to spend on Ozil and Sanchez replacements next summer.
That said, talk of banked money and war chests has always come to naught. But it’s the only logic I can muster.
Yeah, like who.
Credit to management…you must be joking. You know January is two months away? Arsenal is one of the big clubs of Europe. Of the 32 teams in the Champions League, it’s not one of them. Credit to management. You kidding me.
Who needs Ozil and Alexis when we have Eddie
Hey, someone’s got to shine his shoes…
We still need a Chris and a Snoop to take his corners
You could have sold both and replaced them with world class replacements. Instead you will lose both and then have to buy new less good replacements.
This is what I wanted but it really wasn’t what the majority of Gooners on social media were saying. It was all about “showing we’re a big club” by not selling to our rivals and sending out a message. I know I’m going to get downvoted but in this specific case Gazidis is right and I think it was a lose-lose situation for the board and they would have gotten criticised no matter what they did. That said it’s a joke the way we constantly get into situations with players having one year left on their contracts. That’s where the… Read more »
Why don’t we all just stop worrying about Arsenal’s bank balance? I find myself doing it sometimes, getting concerned about how much we have to spend and how this and that might restrict us as though it was my own money. Arsenal have plenty of money. Regardless of Ozil and Sanchez. Sometimes we spend a chunk of it and other times we frustratingly decide to not bother. We make a fuck load on a yearly basis and this doesn’t really change anything. The money has been there for years and keeps topping itself up. Whether we decide to use it… Read more »
These are our best players. This idiocy has been going on for more than two seasons now. Replacements.. .who’s going to come to Arsenal. What, to play Europa football.
As if “world class replacement” come off the shelf. Lol.
My point exactly.
Who were you going to get after selling Alexis and Ozil? as replacements at their levels? Not players that can potentially in a couple years be replacements but replacements on day 1?
I’m drunk… He’s a wanker. I think when I wake up hungover though he will still be a wanker. The board have proved today they don’t care about what we think.
Winston is that you?
Forget these players leaving for free. Biggest loss we suffered was David Dein.
Our transfer business always feels reactive rather than proactive. There’s only a few recent transfers that seemed planned, Kolasinac, Xhaka and Sanchez are the ones that come to mind. They were done nice and early, even got Kolasinac on a free which is fair play to Arsenal, but the rest seem a bit desperate/by chance. This summer it was obvious we lacked a plan. Ox strung us along, same as Özil and Alexis, and eventually we did well to get £40m for Ox. If we had a plan, we could’ve got Lemar early for around £50m and offloaded Sanchez later… Read more »
We had a plan but it derailed is more like it. We needed to let Ox go earlier, and we would have had time perhaps to make other moves. Other than that, it was clear that the Lacazette deal was well-executed in the manner of Kolasinac, Xhaka, and Sanchez. Credit where it’s due, at least we got that, and so far in our season that one bit of business has done us a lot more good than anything else. Lacazette has been a great addition to our team that has helped calm even Sanchez down–he’s been that undeniably good and… Read more »
Look don’t be wishy washy about this. Do you want to WIN trophies or not. You think Arsenal can get to Europe, WIN trophies and stay there…with this management?
The club always stated they weren’t selling Alexis. I find it hard to believe they ‘offered’ to sell him at the last minute. It just turns out if City made an acceptable offer we would, in fact, have sold him. Problem was City came in way too late with that offer..
Would Lemar even come? How many of us had even *heard* of Lemar a year ago? Would he be “better for us” than Sanchez? Would he solve our problems on the pitch? Is he worth 50m? Or 90? I’m not sure. It seems people sometimes forget that this isn’t Football Manager. You can’t just “get someone”. And if you do, are they worth the insane amounts of money. The speculations are endless, and sometimes the internet just boils it down to “Sell A, buy B, play C”. It’s never that simple. I’m not saying our transfer and contact situation isn’t… Read more »
I agree that we shouldn’t oversimplify. What do you think is our main problems and what is the solution?
It is the quality of the squad. What we have or anything less is not going to move Arsenal forward. Just as important or more is the management. It’s been poor for a long time now. Don’t forget. I think only five or six players should actually make this team. Lacazette, Sanchez, Ozil, Koschelmy and Petr Chec. Then we buy six good players to complete the team. I mean world class players. Ramsey, Bellerin and Monreal would be on standby. Coqualin and Carzola too when they are fit. But the rest of the guys would be fighting for their game.… Read more »
Arsenal is a big club. A prominent club in Europe. It has the money to hire top class professional support personnel for the team. So there shouldn’t be any issue with complementing players’ personalities, fitting them in positions where they are strongest and want to play, keeping them motivated for each game. The tools are available, this is not the 1960’s.
Yes, because having a plan means it always works out. Sorry, but that was not the most well thought out idea. The only way you see ” plans ” work out is if the plan is to pay whatever is necessary to get who you want…even then they still don’t always work out for you as in Sanchez to City or Coutinho to Barca, I bet they had plans.
I guess Monaco stating that Lemar isn’t going anywhere shouldn’t come into play? You say that you could have gotten him for 50M? Thats a joke. Just like ManC making a ridiculous offer for Sanchez at the last minute Arsenal also made a ridiculous offer for Lemar last minute.
Being a big club means we keep ozil n shanchez, let thrm go on a free next season, n sign lemar + 1 to replwce them. Or we could just start a front 2 of laca, who will give us 30 goals a sesson, and eddie, who will probably give us 50-80 goals a season 🙂
Who’s Eddie?
More piffle & waffle from Gazidis, in a niave & deluded attempt to deflect criticism. I’m sure that both Ozil & Sanchez have at least half decent contracts on offer. But, by far the biggest stumbling block is that both players want to: a) compete in the CL (& by compete I mean participate after the group stage & actively try to win it), & b) try to win things in general, such as the PL. That’s where the views & goals of the players & club differ. It’s clear to all (regardless of what Gazidis may say) that there… Read more »
Who needs to strengthen the team to win or compete in the champions league when all you need is values?
The players need to understand that.
??
Could have signed both in the summer of 2016. Offered 180 / week and now we would offer both 250/week they originally wanted. The club screwed that one up and are now putting it on the players being selfish. Chips down
bigger picture.
I think Gazidis is right, if the players don’t want to play for us let them go. Big demands from agents, let them go to teams with unlimited cash.
The problem with Arsene is keeping useless players, not letting players move on if they are not good enough for Arsenal. Giroud and Theo are good players but don’t fit well to the way Arsenal play.
Fire this guy. Fuck sakes
It really doesn’t matter if we replace both players with world class players or with less good players as long as Wenger is still the manager; with him in charge we will keep seeing top 4 and local cups as a success. Something that would be unacceptable at other big clubs..
Yep
The fact that we kept them doesn’t necessarily mean that the decision wasn’t driven by finances. You can easily make an argument that keeping them this season is better for the club from a financial perspective. It just happens that this is a situation where footballing and financial incentive were alligned. For instance, you could argue that the League is becoming more and more competitive than it has been in the past which explains why we didn’t make Champions League last season. If we miss again, then we would miss 2 years of UCL money, all that extra match day… Read more »
We’ve been in a downward spiral for awhile. Have you forgotten that supporters have been calling for Wenger to leave, for a while now.
Just get us a sports director am tired of winter refunding money for lack of top top players.
*wenger * not winter. Auto correct ishh
WINTER IS COMING FOR IVAN THE TERRIBLE.
Winter has come for us !!! Kroenke are the whitesuckers!
What those on the outside aren’t ok with is how we’re the only top 6 club to make a transfer profit… Yet have some of the highest ticket prices in Europe. Explain that one to us you fucking sociopath.
There’s no rule against that, you know and if you are willing to research, you will find that many clubs do make a transfer window profit sometimes. It isn’t as if the year we only bought Xhaka, Mustafi Takuno and Lucas Perez and only sold Gnabry (summer of 2016/17), it helped the cause much, did it? Spurs makes transfer profits. So do Liverpool. Why, even Mourinho once boasted he made Chelsea some transfer profit in the past. It doesn’t always translate into trophies….
Yes we don’t know the inside but why do we Wait up to the final year whereas you know will dangerous situation:!!!!
I am guessing it is because there are parties to any deal getting done; and until all parties are satisfied, no deal can get done.
No you can hold them to gunpoint and say sign this contract with our club that is going backwards or else!
Because cunts like you also complain about why we tie players on long contracts with high wages.
Sounds like everything is kool in the gang after all then. PHEW!
Both we’re told are happy in London.
So either we can’t match their wage demands?
We haven’t been able to match their sporting ambitions?
Or as I suspect, we haven’t been able to do either.
Spin! He tried to sell Alexis on the last day but couldn’t get Lemar. Amateur bullshit merchant.
Please, the way my country is being run at the moment has become as much of a joke as Arsenal. I’m fed up of all the lies being fed to everyone from everywhere by higher ups. Thinking we are all stupid. I’m so done….
Those on the inside know little about football and what’s important to the fans. Is it a coincidence that City, United, Chelsea etc don’t have their main players out of contract year after year and manage to tie them down? We’re becoming more and more of laughing stock. Actually felt sorry for Wenger yesterday having to deflect those bullets about Chips’ comments. The longer Kronke remains, the more we’ll fall behind the too teams in the Premier League, you know, the ones that uses to be rivals.
Yes Ivan, we’ll probably just end up selling them in January instead.
I’d say the two want aways or perhaps want aways situation does NOT prove the club is NOT motivated by money as if we had sold them we would not have received their true worth in any case plus we would have had to spend MORE to replace them than we would have reviewed and the wages of the replacements would likely have been more than the TWO being sold, therefore not to sell them makes more financial sense if only JUST ! Gazidis is like a politician trying to sell us horse turd honey cakes and trying to make… Read more »
Is your full stop button spoilt??
Easy Killer…?
Those on the outside may not understand the Ozil and Snachez issues but those on the inside blatantly don’t understand anything about football
You’re right, mate! Those on the outside don’t understand these issues…it’s a shame you’re one of those !
Gazidis, we understand perfectly well what’s going on: you’ve bungled it in regards to contract extensions and bringing in new players for years on end… how are these two any different? They’re not. You, Ivan, are motivated by your own power, prestige, and wealth, and not the good of the club. As fans, we want you out on your bald head because while you might be good for business, you’re bad for football.
Bottom line is that 1) fans do not know what is really going on 2) too many fans do not trust manager and or ownership. You can agree with their opinion or not but I for one do not want them having too much influence despite the fact that a broken clock is still correct twice daily. I trust that Wenger is a very good manager for this situation and I would rather watch quality football, young hard working talented players getting a chance and classy leadership than musical chair managers on criminal oligarch teams that win more championships. Pep… Read more »
We can’t afford to wait too long for them though. We should take our opportunity in market when it presents itself and push them to either put pen to paper or move them on. Case in point with the Ox. Either he had signed with us when Gnabry was demanding more permanence or we solidfy the German’s position potentially at his expense back then. Similarly, there are now potentially available players at PSG whom we may be able to replace closer to like and like for Ozil and Alexis in Draxler and Pastore. Not saying they are the only solution… Read more »
Well Mr Gazidis, why don’t you and the board offer us fans who pay to attend games (in business terms the biggest STAKEHOLDERS at this club and the most important) a transparent insight into what is exactly going on you incompetent moron! Fuck your and your riddles! After yesterday the time for cloudy comments is over!
From the outside it appears as though Gazidis is incompetent or out of his depth at a minimum. Nothing that has entered the public domain during the time that he has been with the club suggests otherwise. He has ridden the general increases in tv rights without proportionally increasing commercial revenues to support the team which SK could have taken a cut of whilst investing in the squad. I don’t know how much Wenger is at fault here but Gazidis has effectively done an apprenticeship in football at Arsenal. Go run the La rams Ivan and get real football person… Read more »
Ozil: “i’ll Stay ignorant Alexis stays”
Alexis: “i’ll Only stay if he stays”
Stalemate.