Arsene Wenger has reiterated the club’s stance over Alexis Sanchez and insisted the club will not sell the Chilean this summer.
Reports of renewed interest from PSG come after some comments made by Sanchez at the weekend, but the Arsenal manager seems defiant, urging the 28 year old to help the club get back into the Champions League after missing out last season.
Pressed on the future of his star man while on the pre-season tour of China, Wenger touched on the interview given to local media, and said, “The decision has been made and we will stick to that – the decision is not to sell.
“I do not give too much importance to things that are translated. The whole interview, which I got, did not really mean that [he only wants Champions League football].
“The main focus for us is on the Premier League, that for me is more important than the Champions League.
“We rested sometimes players in the group stage of the Champions League for the Premier League, so that has become the biggest importance for us.
“For the rest, we have played 20 years in the Champions League and 17 years before Alexis arrived and three years with him – he can get us back in there.”
Wenger also denied that there were similarities between the Sanchez situation and that of Robin van Persie who was sold to Man Utd in 2012, especially given interest from Man City and Chelsea domestically.
“Van Persie was 30 to 31 when he left and had only one year of contract,” he said.
“Alexis is younger. It’s difficult to speak at the moment about that but the decision has been made.”
It’s pretty definitive, and pretty hard to go back on without making yourself look like a bit of an eejit, so right now it looks more likely than not that Sanchez will be an Arsenal player next season.
Good news?
Best decision to make, Well done (and Sanchez may even sign up to boost his wages)!
If we’re offered £80m i would still take it. He is no Ronaldo and if we are playing Lacazette as first choice striker Sanchez will not hit 30 goals again.
He might … Alexis, Lacazette and Ozil should a pretty lethal combination
Looks like we got some balls for that cannon lads COYG
Depends on who’s offering. If it’s a PL club it’s still a no for me.
80 mil no doubt.
£80m is not enough to go and buy a player of Alexis’ quality in today’s market.
Give me a proper name of who we could get for this sum and I’ll change my mind.
Maybe try and get Lucas in a swap deal of some sort?
60m and he is sold, if we get 1 more high profile attacking target = rebuild
Is that ya poker face, Mr Wenger?
Cool!
If we keep Alexis we have a really good attack and a really good defense (at least on paper).
The bit that still concerns me is the midfield.
If Ramsey and Xhaka can stay fit then I guess we will be ok but that’s a pretty big if. Likewise if Santi manages to get fit and stay fit.
I can see guys like Coq and Elneny will be useful but it definitely looks like our weakest area …
Agreed. Also, we could yet struggle creatively if either Sanchez or Ozil gets injured for any length of time (though I’m hoping for big things from Iwobi).
They tend not to get injured though (or sent off / banned)
We’ll have a really good attack (in theory) for a season, after which Alexis will probably move to Man City anyway. For someone so opposed to short-term thinking, a lot of the decisions Arsene Wenger is making appear to be just that. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt with Szczesny and say maybe it is the player that wants to leave rather than the other way around, but keeping players for no sell on value (leaving the next manager with a decent-amount-less money to spend) and allowing players to leave that could be useful in the future because… Read more »
Put in a cheeky bid for Eric Dier just to say F off to Spurs
£40,000,001
Dier is overrated mate. He’s even worse than Henderson!
The issue now is that we have ox (who wants to play at cm and has 1 year left on his contract and we want him to pen a new deal), and theres jack who has not left the club. If we can sort thwse 2 out then perhaps we can go for a creative santi-like player
Wenger doesn’t seem to fancy Ox in there at the moment (contrary to what he has said about that being his position) and I don’t think we can rely on Jack unfortunately.
We have plenty of midfielders, it’s injury free midfielders we seem short of.
Also it’s effective combinations, Coq and Santi worked well together. Ramsey and Xhaka. Some of the others not so much.
I guess maybe 3 at the back changes things a bit. Still it’s a concern.
I just don’t get how Wenger doesn’t fancy Ox there. Every time he played there this year, his performances very ranging from “very good” to “outstanding.”
Ok guys, since this got down-thumbed a lot, I took the trip down the memory lane to find out if I’m biased about Ox’s performances at the CM or if there’s any truth to it. First time Ox got a chance in this position last season was in the FA Cup fixture against Southampton (more like Soton B-team) – but it was at St. Mary’s and that place seemed haunted until that day. We won this game 5-0 and he was amazing – 90+ % pass completion and 3 key passes (most of any players on the pitch). Unfortunately, Arseblog doesn’t… Read more »
I do seem to remember him playing well in there, but he didn’t get many chances.
He was terrific at wing back at times, and Ramsey was fit. Perhaps that’s why.
Maybe folks are also a little tainted by that last England performance in CM when he really stunk it up and gave the balm away a lot.
I just hope he stays because he provides us options in many positions and does possess explosive pace.
*ball. He was also pretty generous with the balm apparently.
I still have some (probably deluded) hopes that Jack can make it. He is so talented, I remember him dominating the Barcelona midfield, he looked like a worldie then, I would love it if he could prove me right.
I would love it too but i don’t think we can risk our season on it
If we have Sanchez, Özil, Lacazette and do add Lemar or another similar improvement player in that area, you are going to see goals goals goals. You just are.
He is a super player, but if he wants away, why the heck would he sign? He will get a massive sign on bonus if he leaves for free next year, also if he wants to leave, does he deserve our shirt? It is only good if we don’t see the same focus on his whereabouts like we did this spring, and if he acts like he is all about arsenal, which he didn’t this spring. He is a fantastic player, but I rate our integrity as club to much to accept anything less than total commitment, and given we… Read more »
At this point its literally better for Alexis not to sign to anyone and wait until January when he is allowed to discuss terms with any club in the world. So the amount of money he would stand to make up front for signing on to a new club will be huge. He could literally earn in excess of £10M just for signing a contract, without even kicking a ball, especially if he ends up going to City on a free next year. So.. basically if PSG want him then they’re going to have to fork out absolute wedge for… Read more »
An approach should and was not historically adopted. If he now leaves on a free to a rival, that’s on the player not the club. It’s refreshing to finally start to see somebody backbone from the club in this respect.
An approach that should have and was not historically adopted. If he now leaves on a free to a rival, that’s on the player not the club. It’s refreshing to finally start to see some backbone from the club in this respect.
*A lack of proof reading and autocorrect really doesn’t ruin my life!
I never take Wenger’s words definitively. He could easily say later on that this is where the club stood ‘at that time’, but things change…
On the other hand, I do feel more confident now that we won’t sell to a PL rival.
I think Wenger’s point about “things that are translated” is valid for transfer-window interviews with vacationing players in general:
“Hector, do you think you could ever go back to Barcelona?”
“Well, of course it is a great club, and it would be an honour to play there, but I am committed to Arsenal and that it where I intend to play for many years.”
HEADLINE: “Bellerin: `It would be an honour to play for Barca.'”
Sell him on the cheap to PSG. I don’t want players who don’t want to play for the club. He is dead to me.
Bit drastic
Ridiculous
Yea, except the wasters who do want to stay at the club for the last 5 years or more haven’t really done the business have they. Alexis wants to leave because he wants success, he plays like a winner, he does everything in his power to be successful on and off the pitch. Don’t hate him for wanting to leave, he is only highlighting what is wrong with our team. Not enough effort and no balls, in a nutshell. No pun intended.
Gooner, spot on!!
Alexis is the Messiah for some but no Messi. Let him go and buy a replacement. If he leaves next year, the ideal replacement may have signed elsewhere.
Alexis is not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy! Of course he’s not Messi, but could/would we replace him with a player of the same or higher caliber? Probably not (who?), so while not the messiah, keeping him – an outstanding talent – at the club for another season to maximise our potential is surely better than the alternative, based on the spurious stance that only those ‘who would die for the badge’ deserve to be at the club. Answering that his preference is to play in the CL is not agitating for a move, is not disruptive and… Read more »
You had my thumb up after the first sentence mate!
I know it sounds bad but it’s true.:-)
Alexis is great, but he’s not perfect. For everything he brought & gave to the team last season, he was also guilty of giving away a lot of possession & running into dead ends when there were other passing options available. Yes he clearly wants to win, & I don’t disagree with what you are saying about some other players being comfotable. But, I think the club are finally taking a stance saying: “We’ve stregthened our squad, we’re not going to sell you, & now it’s up to you as a player to either man up & play 100% committed… Read more »
So if he performs brilliantly and we win trophies you wouldn’t support him ?
Wenger should be dead to you, he has alienated our best player.
Oh, do leave off. Have you got a shirt with his name on the back then?
Art, situation w Alexis is just one of many mishandled and badly managed parts of our club. And I am proud to have such a player in our club, he is surely a top 5 attacker in the world, and we are lucky to have him. He is not perfect of course however it did not have to come to this, and we should do all we can to keep him.
Why would you be proud to have a player in your team who doesn’t want to be there? Personally I could think of few things more miserable than being around someone who wants to be elsewhere.
And who brought him here in the first place? You? The club ay? Wenger you ignorant troll. You should apply for a management course since you clearly know how to run a club.
Ignorant troll? Ahahahah… Thanks 🙂 go and kiss more wenger’s ass…
Nice rebuttal. Not! See what I did there homie? ?
I refuse to believe that the club just sits on their hands and waits til there is 12 months left on a contract before acting. No doubt there has been efforts prior to this summer to get a new contract signed. You say that Wenger makes these same mistakes. Maybe its possible in the modern era that players and or their agents are just greedy fuckers and hold out and hold out and hold out signing shiny new contracts to maximise their values. I suspect the club wants to keep players, and offers them respectable deals, but they get refused.… Read more »
We have a higher wage bill than Bayern or Juventus, wages has nothing to do with it
I’d take 40m from psg over 50m from mancs if we sign lemar.
Woohoo, great to see Wenger take a firm stance.
Now, let’s get Santi to match fitness and win da ting.
I get the impression that this decision was made at boardroom level, after they had discussed the possibility of losing a prize asset on a free transfer at the end
of the 2017/18 season, if Sanchez were to be held to his existing contract.
So it may not be Arsene’s decision alone, and has probably been rubber stamped by Stan Kroenke et al.
Fantastic news! We need to take this gamble…next year we will hopefully back in the CL and who knows…PL champs?? Or there abouts… Then If Sánchez wants to bolt he can only use the money as his incentive…not our circumstances. It may be risky but we can’t lose him…not now! Get in
He has to say we won’t sell but if he wants to go he must be sold, keeping him against his will won’t be in our interests, it’ll be throwing good money after bad.
Wengers transfer gamble last summer cost us £50m in lost champions league revenue there’s no point compounding in by losing another £50m+.
Sell and buy someone who wants to play for the club
What if we cannot get the player we want, and in keeping Sanchez we have a shot in the PL (and by extension getting back to the CL)? Wouldn’t that be worth the assumed £50m?
Your argument only makes sense if we win the league. Which we won’t do, regardless of Alexis Sanchez being at the club.
Even qualifying for the CL is worth less than £50m, so keeping him for that eventuality isn’t worth it, either.
The prizemoney etc might be less, but playing in the champs league does allow better players to come to the club. It keeps the fans happy. It keeps sponsors happy. And that in turn generates big $$$.
Champions League is where the club needs to be.
No, it not the actions of a self confident club, it’s the actions of the petty.
Arsenal’s should be making the club one that all the top players want to join not forcing the one’s that don’t to stay!
If Alexis is not performing/faking injury/being a dick, would we sell him abroad in Jan for 25 million or so to a team like PSG who might be more desperate then? He won’t be cup-tied so more suitors might come looking…
Hopefully he finds more peace this year with better teammates and signs during the season!
Sanchez is not bigger than the club.. Without him, we’ve been going to d CL, he was with us wen we miss out. So WTF
Would have sold him to PSG if their rumoured interest is genuine and if they offered anything above £65m. If we do stick to our word & he stays, i hope the season goes so well he ends up signing an extension. If he runs down his contract, believe me its gonna hurt more seeing him move to a PL club on a free. Meantime im very interested to see how Alexis camp responds to Wenger latest comments. Feels like we haven’t heard the last of this saga by any stretch
If Kyle Wanker is worth £50m then Alex is and rightly worth £80m. Anything else is just taking the piss.
Yes, brilliant: loads of goals in two of our 3 attacking forwards. Hope we now turn to sorting defensive issues and thereby balance of team. Ideal: Koulibaly and Keita. En Marche!
Thank god. I see on the other post so many arsenal fans saying he’s a money grabber and good riddance. No! He is our best player in terms of talent and gives his all in every game. If everyone in our squad worked as hard as alexis on the pitch, we would probably have won the league a couple of seasons ago. IMO he is frustrated by the often lacklustre performances and fragile mentality of his team mates, we gooners know how you feel mate
100% agreed. Alexis doesn’t come off greedy in the slightest bit. People need to remember that he comes from a humbled background. Bottom line, the guy has a winning mentality. I’d like to think he’s looking for conviction/ confidence in the upcoming months to commit himself to the team long term. It probably comes down to how the team collectively performs, and most importantly how the team bounced back from a hiccup. Of coarse nobody is bigger than the club, but I can see where Alexis is coming from. It’s not a case of who’s wrong or who’s right. Everything… Read more »
100% genuine, I had a dream about him last night and he was the nicest person in the world. Turns out I love him much more than I thought. I’d still sell him for £80m as I want him to be happy.
If they make the decision not to sell him even if it means loosing him for free next season, it will convince me that finally this board and the manager are intent on winning things.
Yes because nothing quite says ‘winning’ then allowing your best player to walk out on a free to a rival club ?
Sell him & re-invest in players who want to be here.
Pretty sure RvP was younger than what Wenger is referring to
Yes, Van persie has just turned 29 at the time, and Sanchez rurns 29 in decembar, not much difference if you ask me.
However, I like the rest of the words I’m hearing.
That part didn’t sit well with me either so I checked.he turned 29 a week before the 12/13 season. That was his first season at scum utd.
So 4 months older than what Alexis will be at start of this season coming.
in anti-rosicky years traitor kid was 31
Yes, absolutely good news.
Above all else, it shows ambition. Although, it’s a financial dagger, we need to show intent to keep our best players. Lemar, a deep sitting CM to replace Cazorla, a true CDM, and sell on the dead wood.
The decision is to not sell Alexis …IF the club is City. The decision will be to sell if we have other buyers outside of country. Which is why we are dragging our heels and Alexis is saying its up to us. he essentially wants to leave and is 95% out of the door. We are holding for several reasons : 1) We are waiting for the likes of PSG, Inter possibly AC Milan to clear their lines. If they come onto market, we are more than likely to entertain interest. Particularly, the Italian clubs are flush with cash right… Read more »
I really don’t know whether keeping an excellent player that wants to leave and who also does give the ball away a lot is a good idea. I felt better when he was upfront as he had less opportunity to misplace passes but with the addition of Lacazette he will be on the wing again. This is why I am not a football manager I suppose.
Great. But don’t go back on it now or you will look a twat.
Unless he shows a willingness to sign an extension I’d still be willing to sell Alexis to PSG – as long as that money is re-invested.
However, if we can keep Giroud and Alexis, midfield would definitely be my priority now. I’ll be amazed if Rambo’s hamstrings last a full season.
Crap from Wenger again. Van Perdue 28 when he left. Why do the press never challenge him on this?
Agreed. Our biggest weakness last season was midfield. We can’t play the Arsenal way with our midfield clicking. I love Rambo but those hamstrings are probably not going to get any more durable, and Santi will be an unexpected bonus if he is fit for second half of the season. A tough, strong, slick, ball-playing midfielder would do us wonders. (Don’t ask me who though.)
Varretti would be perfect…but realistically I have no idea either.
Kovacic seems a very arsenal-y buy – a world class talent who has the misfortune of playing at the same club as Toni Kroos and Modric and is entering his prime years and should be wanting to start
Right now our bargaining power is about as low as it’ll ever be, so it’s a smart move not to sell now. We’d receive below market value – no question.
If we’re top of the league at Christmas time or legitimately look like contenders, perhaps we can negotiate a new deal with him.
And yes, I’ve been watching Arsenal for the last 10 years and know I sound like an eternal optimist.
Me too. But it’s fantastic being optimistic :0)
Good news as long as Sanchez acts professional and doesn’t have a turgid season
In other news Arnautovic £24million. I really don’t understand the transfer market in England
if he’s worth that, what’s Giroud worth?!
P-P-P-P-P-PO-PO-POKKKKER FACE
If PSG-Neymar rumours are true, than Barca will have a ton of money and could come back for Sanchez. Would you sell him to Barca for 60-80 mil?
Van Persie was 29 years and 11 days old when he transferred to Utd. He had 1 year left on his contract
Alexis is 29 years and 198 days old today. He has 1 year left on his contract.
Yes Arsene they are totally different situations.
Oh crap!!
Sorry meant to write Alexis is 28 years and 198 days old
Except, Alexis is:
– not that old (29 in December)
– has a work ethic not many players have
– will work hard in the World Cup year
– will work extra hard to earn his next biggest contract (wherever it may be)
– not a wanker
I’d keep him on the last point alone.
The arsenal I know says these things to boost the price offered by the buying club. I hope it’s a different arsenal where we are done with that and just let the contract play out if he doesn’t want to sign. Lots of other players we can sell and make some revenue. My money is still on him leaving a week or two after the season starts.
Did I miss Alexis saying he wants to leave ?
Game changer or not doesn’t changed the fact he held a gun to our head for crazy money then turned his back on us when it was offered.
If alexis leaves this season to psg they will probably offwr him 250-300k? If he joins mancs they will probably offer him around the same? (Considering how much the rest of the squad like van bruyne and aguero are on).
Why not just sign a new contract. Bump his salary up to 300k with us, insert a release clause of 50m. And if he’s still not happy next season then he can go to another club for that 50m + ask for 350-400k salary?
Poll?
answer with what you think will happen.
Options
1.new contract
2. New contract release clause
3.stays, leaves to city next summer
4.sell to PSG 40million
5.sell to City 60million
Yes we know he is worth double but admit it we know Arsenal will sell for half his worth :/
9
Good news indeed. Good that Wenger is defiant on this issue. We are not selling him; full stop
I see some midfield debate. If we honestly keep Lex then I can gaurentee Wenger is thinking keep midfield the way it is, play Ox in the middle more as a backup to Xhaka and Ramsey, and LANS Jack and Santi midseason.
Just my thoughts. The lower tier of Mo and Coq can be the cup and Euro mids.
“The decision has been made, YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
Nice one Gandalf (Arsene) – and no pun intended about Alexis’ passing issues. 😉
Keep driving up the fee, Wenger; Alexis was toxic last season during the worst stretch, and I can’t imagine he’ll act any better if he feels like he’s held hostage. Move him along. I wish it hadn’t worked out this way.
Totally agree
If there is one thing AW has proven, it is that he says what he wants the world to hear, which in this case is that it would take a good bid to price Sanchez away from us. To not get suitors believing we have to sell. If there is a genuine opportunity to get 1or2 of our Monaco targets I would prefer to sell any wantaway star to highest bidder and initiate rebuild. I want the players to share my passion for our proud jersey. There are few players that do that despite not fitting in perfectly, we should… Read more »
Great news!
Really surprised not to see Wenger cash in on him now with the ability to get around 50 million or so while he is in his prime. For this next year I am glad we are keeping him, but other than our winning the league I don’t see him resigning next year and doubt Wenger will want to go on a comparable spending spree that he could right now with the sale of Sanchez. Our chances definitely are better with him in the squad, just surprised Wenger is willing to let him walk for free next year.
If am Arsene, am not selling to anybody at any cost untill next season.Sanchez either plays or remain on bench untill next season. Yeah.
Don’t know why Alexis moans about CL, we were in it for 20 years with the kids the team discarded last season ,he was in the team that failed, you think PSG or City will win it? No only Real Madrid can and will At Bacca well it won’t happen for him they put him on sale for Suarez Very Cheap MEANI G All th As t goodness was Wenger’s magic