Over the weekend, it was reported that Manchester City and Juventus will both consider £50 million bids for Alexis Sanchez, with talks over a new contract stalling.
The 27-year-old forward, who will have one-year left to run on his existing contract at Arsenal at the end of the season, is thought to want a substantial pay rise on his current £130,000-a-week deal.
The Gunners are desperate to tie him down to a further three years, with talks on-going since August over a new deal
However, the fact that the Chile international has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal has alerted the likes of City and Juve.
Both clubs know that Arsenal may have no other choice than to sell Sanchez – especially if he is left with just one year on his current agreement at the Emirates. Should this happen, it would leave the Gunners in a difficult predicament as they could potentially lose him on a free in 2018.
Sanchez has been deployed mainly as a centre-forward this season and has made an impact in his new-found position, netting eight goals in 15 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
So, with interest mounting and his contract length winding down as the days go by, should Arsenal give him what he wants?
It’s unknown what Sanchez is demanding in terms of wages, but with reports suggesting Mesut Ozil is closing in on a new deal worth £160,000-a-week, it’s likely he would want the same amount as the German. So, in theory, Sanchez wants an extra £30k a week.
Sanchez is arguably one of Arsenal’s top players, and if the club are stalling or hesitant about rewarding him an extra £30k-a-week then they are jokers – especially after the performances he’s pulled out for the Gunners since his arrival from Barca.
Of course, it may not all be about the money for the player. Perhaps, Sanchez wants assurances from Arsene Wenger that they can seriously challenge and win trophies. So far, Sanchez has only won two FA Cups and he will be itching to add to this collection. If he doesn’t believe he can do so, then Arsenal will have no choice than to sell the forward.
Nonetheless, Arsenal need to get a move on and persuade Sanchez to extend his stay beyond 2018. The longer it goes on, the more the Arsenal faithful will worry.
