Arsene Wenger has said that Arsenal have made the decision to risk losing Alexis Sanchez for free next summer by prioritising football over financial (via Arsenal.com).
It’s one of the stories of the transfer window and it seems that it will be next season as well. Arsenal are set to hold on to Alexis Sanchez for the season but risk losing him next summer for free.
Sanchez has just one year remaining on his contract and will be free to talk to any club about a pre-contract agreement in the new year.
Now, Arsene Wenger has spoken about his decision to keep Alexis Sanchez for the season but admitted that it is a strong possibility he could leave for free next year.
“That is a consequence of what I say, yes, unfortunately,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference.
“We have to make a choice between efficiency on the field and financial interest and most of the time if you can find a good compromise, it’s better. But in this case, I think I prioritise the fact that he will be useful on the sporting side.”
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Some Arsenal fans are still optimistic that the Chilean will sign a new deal at Arsenal to remain at the club but Wenger said the club are no closer to agreeing to that.
“Look, at the moment no, because we have not progressed on that front. At the moment he is a player who goes into the final year of his contract and prepares for the season. We have not made any progress on the other front.”
It’s an incredibly complicated issue for Arsenal but ultimately, they’re making the correct one. In the current market, Alexis Sanchez may be worth a lot of money but the statement the club is making in keeping him is far greater. It’s a big ask but the club knows full well that if they make a few more signings and compete for the Premier League title then Sanchez could decide that the Emirates is the best place to be after all.
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