Arsene Wenger: I 'deeply believe' Alexis Sanchez will sign new Arsenal deal - 7M sport

Arsene Wenger: I 'deeply believe' Alexis Sanchez will sign new Arsenal deal



Posted Wednesday, April 26, 2017 by ESPN

Arsene Wenger says he will not sell Alexis Sanchez this summer even if the forward rejects a new deal, but "deeply believes" the Chile international will sign a contract extension with Arsenal.

Sanchez has been Arsenal's standout player this season and showed his importance by scoring the extra-time winner against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday.

But the 28-year-old's future remains shrouded in uncertainty as he and Mesut Ozil have yet to agree new long-term deals with the club.

However, Wenger -- whose own future also remains unclear -- has ruled out the possibility of cashing in on Sanchez this summer, even if that risks him leaving on a free transfer at the end of next season.

Asked on Tuesday if he would rather make Sanchez stay for the last year of his contract than sell him for a fee upward of £50 million, Wenger told a news conference: "Yes."

Wenger then added: "I don't think you would sell him to any Premier League club, that is for sure."

Wenger's relationship with Sanchez seemed to deteriorate last month when he was dropped for the key Premier League game at Liverpool after storming out of a training session.

But Wenger said he is convinced that Sanchez wants to stay at the club, as long as they can reach an agreement on his salary. Sanchez and Ozil are reportedly looking for deals worth more than £250,000-a-week, which would shatter the club's wage structure.

Arsene Wenger: I 'deeply believe' Alexis Sanchez will sign new Arsenal deal
Alexis Sanchez is out of contract with Arsenal at the end of next season.

"I personally think he will sign and stay here," Wenger said. "First of all [because] he is happy here. His desire is as well to stay. That is what I deeply believe. The disagreements are more purely contractual, not about the desire. Both parties have the desire to find an agreement, so I think it will happen."

Keeping both Ozil and Sanchez would be a massive statement for the club as they try to build a team capable of competing for the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

And Wenger said it may not even be a bad financial decision to forego the transfer fees those players could fetch.

"The problem as well that you have to analyse, always, firstly is: 'Can you find better? For what kind of money?' The inflation is so big that sometimes today even mathematically there can be advantages to keep a player until the end of a contract," he said.

Arsenal face a summer full of contract negotiations, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among several other players whose deals run out next year.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has thrived in a wing-back position in Arsenal's last two games after Wenger switched to a back-three formation, showcasing his versatility after playing as a winger and central midfielder this season.

And while Wenger still sees Oxlade-Chamberlain's long-term future in central midfield, he said the wing-back position fits his qualities perfectly.

"What he is doing at the moment will help him be a successful central midfielder as well," Wenger said. "At the moment I feel this role has suited him well, first of all because he can use his power. And it suits him well as he is facing the game when he gets the ball.

"Once he is on the run he can use his power well. It's a different kind of game to be marked, turn [around a defender] or go forward or face the game. He looks to be comfortable when he is running at people when he has the ball at his feet."



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