Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has insisted that the club are in an “ideal situation” over the futures of key duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
The pair are both in the final 12 months of their respective contracts, and there is no suggestion that they’re set to sign a contract renewal imminently.
With the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere also having just one year remaining on their deals, it’s a far from ideal situation in the eyes of many supporters who are growing increasingly concerned over the futures of key players.
Wenger doesn’t share those sentiments though it seems, as he’s played a different angle on players coming to the end of their deals, as reported by The Sun, who claim that he could get £50m apiece for Sanchez and Ozil and at least £25m for Oxlade-Chamberlain.
For most, getting £125m for three players who could leave for nothing in 12 months seems like the most sensible solution, but not for the French tactician.
“It is not an issue and I think it’s an ideal situation because everyone has to perform. It should not change if you have two years or one year left, you go out on the pitch.
“I don’t understand, do you really think you sit in the dressing room before a game and you think, ‘Oh I have only one year left to go so I will not play well today?’ Where does this come from? And what has that got to do with the length of your contract?
“I think in the future you will see this more and more – because transfer fees become so high, but it will happen because nobody will want the pay the amount of money demanded. I’m convinced that in the next ten years this will become the usual thing.”
Time will tell what happens and if the players in question eventually sign new deals, but this seems to be a very risky game from Wenger and Arsenal.