Arsenal transfer news: Gunners keep tabs on 46-goal, 11-assist Euro duo in case Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez jump ship

Arsenal are casually making contingency plans just in case they fail in their bid to keep star men Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez at the Emirates Stadium.

Ozil and Alexis, both 28, have just 18 months left to run of their respective contracts.

The Gunners are desperate to get Ozil and Alexis to sign new deals, according to Squawka, who report that the players – who currently earn wages of £140,000 and £135,000 – are asking for their weekly pay to rise to more than £200,000 each.

Sanchez is seemingly in a strong position to make such demands, with Squawka adding that he has interest from Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus and Bayern Munich, as well as a £400,000-a-week proposal to play in China.

Ozil would presumably also not be short of offers were he to decide to leave North London.

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Arsenal will have to dig deep to keep their main men happy, or indeed just keep them full-stop.

Ultimately, the power is with the players at this point.

But, if either player decides to wave goodbye to hoards of disappointed Gooners, Arsenal apparently know who they want as a replacement.

Squawka claim that manager Arsene Wenger is eyeing potential marquee signings, including Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann and Borussia Dortmund playmaker Marco Reus, just in case.

Griezmann and Reus provided a combined total of 46 goals and 11 assists in domestic league and European Cup games last season, while Ozil and Sanchez delivered 24 goals and 28 assists.

This season, Griezmann has nine goals in 21 La Liga and Champions League starts, chipping in with six assists. Reus has produced four of each in six Bundesliga and UCL outings.

Meanwhile, Alexis has been Arsenal’s leading scorer this term with 14 goals in 23 Premier League and European games, adding nine assists. Ozil’s stats are currently nine goals and five assists in 22 matches.