As everyone will know by now, Arsene Wenger has signed a new two-year deal to remain in charge of Arsenal. Some will be upset and angered by the news following a poor campaign, while others will be delighted that the Frenchman has extend his stay at the club.
Wenger’s contract saga did very much drag on and did cause intensified debate among fellow Arsenal fans and pundits alike. The Frenchman’s reluctance not to reveal his decision on whether he would remain in charge or not did nothing but cause confusion around the club and it was not necessarily needed. Why he decided to reveal he was staying on after the season concluded after telling us that he would ‘let us know in April/May’ of is decision was baffling also – even more so knowing that he would in fact stay on. I knew he would sign a new deal because why not? £8million-a-year to basically finish in the top four, I wouldn’t leave either. It was inevitable that he would be Arsenal’s manager for the next two seasons because if he was leaving he would have given the club a good period of time to find a replacement. I actually grew bored of the contract saga and when it was announced that he would stay on, I didn’t particularly care anymore about it.
So, with Wenger committing for a couple more years, the attention now turns to star duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Both have one year left on their existing contract, but nothing has yet been agreed. Wenger did shelve talks until the summer, but will they sign new deals and commit their foreseeable futures to Arsenal?
Well Ozil has previously stated that he is more likely to sign for Arsenal if Wenger stays. The German has also said he is enjoying life in London and wants to win the Premier League with the Gunners. There isn’t too much interest in the creative midfielder either, only Manchester United and Fenerbahce have been linked with a move for him, but even those just look like rumours. Money is the issue here. Apparently, him and Alexis are looking for wages in the region of over £280,000-a-week to stay on. Out of the two, Ozil looks the more likely to remain on, and I believe a new deal will be reached in the upcoming weeks.
Sanchez staying on the other hand, looks a little iffy. The Chilean has cut a frustrated figure in recent months over Arsenal’s poor season in the Premier and Champions League. However, Sanchez has hinted that he is happy to remain in London, but will it be with the Gunners? Chelsea have expressed an interest in the in-demand forward, but Wenger has insisted that if Sanchez is sold this summer then it will be to a club abroad. Sanchez has several admirers should he decide to leave the Premier League, with the likes of PSG, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich all believed to be keen on acquiring him. The failure to finish in the top four, thus no Champions League football, could also play a deciding factor in the Chile international’s decision to stay at Arsenal, this plus his reported age demands which are believed to be around the £300,000-a-week mark. The Gunners simply cannot afford to lose Sanchez this summer, but if he decides to leave then so be it. Will he sign a new deal? I don’t think so, in my opinion.
Whatever the case may be for both Ozil and Sanchez, it must not drag on throughout the summer. If they want to leave then sell them and move on. The quicker the better.
