Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has insisted that meeting Alexis Sanchez’s reported wage demands would be damaging to the club in more ways than one.
The Chilean international will see his current contract with the Gunners come to an end next summer, and so there is a growing concern at the Emirates that he may leave this summer in order for the club to avoid losing him for nothing.
According to The Sun, his £300,00o-a-week wage demands are causing a big issue, with Wenger telling reporters that ultimately it can’t be done.
That salary is more than Paul Pogba earns at Manchester United and double Mesut Ozil’s wage packet, as noted in the report, and so it’s no real surprise that Wenger has looked to quash talk of Sanchez’s demands being a public discussion.
“If we pay that it can destabilise the dressing room,” he told reporters at his press conference on Friday.
“Some fans say he is not worth it but that is why you have to make the decision in an objective way. The club always has to be the priority. I understand that top players are a big priority too but at
the end of the day, you can only pay as much as you can afford.
“Some people tell me ‘Just give him what he wants’ but then you cannot respect any wage structure any more and you put the club in trouble as well.”
With the Sun adding that Sanchez is the subject of interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea in a deal that could cost around £50m this summer, it looks as though the 28-year-old is merely edging ever closer to the exit door at the Emirates.
Many will support Wenger’s argument as it really does make sense in that you can’t be held hostage by a single player, break the wage structure significantly to keep him happy and risk the club’s interests in the process.
Others will naturally disagree and use this as another reason to vent frustration at the club given the turmoil on the pitch in recent weeks and Wenger’s continued failure. Either way, it doesn’t look good for Sanchez’s future in north London.