Alexis Sanchez future unclear, teammate hopes he stays
By Rayna Sidhu
Mesut Ozil has spoken out in support of his teammate to stay at the North London club, despite strong rumours that his exit is imminent.
The Chilean forward did not travel with Arsenal to Australia for their pre-season tour as part of an extended break after his participation in the Confederations Cup. In the meantime, his German teammate recently spoke out in support for Sanchez staying at the club.
"I hope Alexis stays but I don’t know what the status is to be perfectly honest… but I value him a lot as a player and he’s very well-suited to the game Arsenal play. – The Metro"
It is true that Sanchez is suited to Arsenal’s style, but it is also true that for the past season he had a rough time there. He grew noticeably frustrated with his teammates and seemed detached from the club.
Now, he has asked for his pay to increase to £400,000 a week to stay at Arsenal. It is a ridiculous amount of money and reports suggest he is aware it will take a lot for Arsene Wenger to agree which has turned his attention elsewhere.
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Although Bayern Munich showed an initial interest in Sanchez, they apparently flat-out refused to pay his asking price. Paris Saint-Germain are still in the running, with Manchester City also keen. It is reported that his preferred choice is City, which brings with it the chance to work under Pep Guardiola again, as he did at Barcelona.
Sanchez would fit in well at Manchester City. Guardiola has been productive this transfer window and with the potential acquisition of Tottenham’s Kyle Walker, could have a fierce team to contend with. Sanchez brings the skill and pace to link up with the talented midfield and forwards, as well as experience playing for the manager.
However, Arsenal have stated they will not sell to their title rivals even though there is no word on a new contract either. If Sanchez’s future is based on the wage he is demanding, then Arsenal need to make a decision. Sanchez isn’t easily replaced and Wenger will need to adjust to losing him. Alternatively, the club needs to meet his demands so that he can join the pre-season in good spirits.
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A player like Sanchez makes it clear when he’s unhappy, as we saw last season. If money is the only issue, Arsenal should pay it because it will cost them more to lose him. But they need to make a decision soon so that both player and club have time to adapt.