picture source: The Mirror
Sanchez had a stellar individual season at Arsenal but despite the F.A. cup his club won at the end of the May, the season left much to be desired after Arsenal yet again failed to seriously challenge for the Premier League title or in the Champions League.
Sanchez was the first player since Robin Van Persie in
2012 to reach 30 goals in all competitions for the club and keeping him at the
Emirates is obviously a high-priority for the Gunners this summer, as he enters
the final year of his contract.
According to German publication Kicker in June, Bayern
were at one point willing to make Arsenal's Chilean forward the club's
best-paid player, with reports suggesting a potential salary of £350 000-a-week.
Both Bayern Munich and Man City have been heavily
linked with Sanchez and offer him the chance to play with world class players
and under elite-level managers in Ancelotti (Bayern) and Guerdiola (City).
picture source: The Mirror
The Chilean at times this past season looked
disillusioned with the team he was on. None more so than when Arsenal were
outstandingly dumped out of the Champions League by the hands of Bayern
Munich. At that point it seemed like Sanchez would just be counting down the
days to when he’d be able to leave the exit door as soon as possible.
Sanchez only has one remaining year on his contract
with the Gunners. And if no deal can be agreed on, it appears that Arsenal are
prepared to let him walk away for free next summer rather than sell him to a
rival this transfer window. Strategically for their own best interests, that is
probably the best move Arsenal can make at this point. Bayern were hot on his
heels last month, as Sanchez seemed to be a priority signing for them. But the
signing of Gnarbry from Werder Bremen and even the subsequent transfer of
Douglas Costa out of the club to Juventus may suggest Bayern have given up on
him.
picture source: The Sun
This leaves Manchester City as the only real contender
for Sanchez’s signature. They have the money to put up a head-turning transfer
fee for the Arsenal board and the salary they could offer Alexis is
considerably more than what Arsenal would be prepared to give him. Not to
mention, Man City fit the profile of a club who can realistically challenge for
the Premier League title and go head to head with the elite in the Champions
League.
But even though Sanchez seems to hold all the cards at
this moment, Arsenal are really under not as much pressure to sell as one might
think. They do of course have contract impasses with Mesut Ozil and
Oxlade-Chamberlain to deal with too. But Arsenal, as has been well documented
in the past, have a pile of money they’re just sitting on and can offer Sanchez
the type of money that shows they’re interested in keeping him.
picture source: Sky Sports
Also,
Alexis Sanchez has not gone on record to say he is considering leaving the
club. You could say he’s said anything but declare he will leave. Arsene Wenger
has also said adamantly in the past few days that "The decision has been
made and we will stick to that". Wenger and the people in charge of
Arsenal have no plans of selling and don’t even really need the money that
could obtained in the selling of Sanchez.
In
addition to this, the squad Arsenal are putting together already looks to be
better than the one they had last season. Kolasinac had arrived on a
free transfer from Shalke, and was voted into the official Bundesliga Team
of the Season for 2016/17 at the left-back position. But of course the biggest
signing the club have made is bringing in the prolific striker in Lacazette to
the club. He has had a shot conversion rate of 22.31% over the past 3 seasons
with 56 goals from 251 shots as according to Sportskeeda. Ultimately
meaning that only 3 strikers have been more efficient than him in front of
goal. This calibre of players, (if Arsenal can keep bringing them in) would go
a long way in showing Alexis that the club will have a team that can match his
mighty ambitions.
All the
more reason to expect to see him in an Arsenal shirt this 2017-18 season.
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