Wenger wants “quick resolution” to Alexis saga (but needs Lemar first?)

The Alexis Sanchez saga has been rumbling on for over a year, and it would appear that he will be leaving Arsenal at the earliest opportunity going by the way that Wenger has softened his stance and has resigned himself to losing the Chilean.

In his press conference yesterday Wenger made it clear that he wants to get this business out of the way as quick as possible, but also said that Sanchez won’t be leaving until the boss has got his replacement in the team. Here is an extract from his interview from Arsenal.com….

on whether he wants to avoid an Alexis-like situation in the future…
No I don’t regret because at the end of the day all you can access to the demands of the players or you can’t and if you cannot, they don’t extend their contracts it’s as simple as that. It’s kind of a mathematical situation and that you cannot change.

on whether Alexis is replaceable…
Replaceable in the way that we find exactly the same player, certainly not, but there’s always a way to find a different balance. Alexis is an exceptional football player, he’s a world-class player and if that happens we have to find a different balance in the team.

on whether he didn’t sell Alexis in the summer because they had no replacement…
Yes.

on if a replacement is not brought in, Alexis will not go…
You sum it up very well.

on whether he wants a quick resolution…
Yes of course.

So now we simply have to wait and see who Wenger will bring in to appease the fans. He tried extremely hard to get Thomas Lemar in the summer, and he admitted back in September that we would return for another bid for the Frenchman. Le Prof told Sky: “Yes, we bid €100m for Lemar but the player wanted to stay in Monaco,”

“Yes, we’ll come back in for him.”

34 Comments

  1. He tried extremely hard to get Lemar BS
    If he had Lemar would already be here. If that was the case as soon as this window opened why did we not go back

  2. I think alexis sanchez should give alot of credit to arsenal.

    we have made him more of a star than he was at barcelona or udinese by making him the main man of our team.

    how quickly players forget..he was at barcelona benched by the same guy he soo deeply wants to play for.

    he should talk to rvp,song,hleb,nasri,adebayor…

    there is something about being a great player at arsenal and then leaving.
    you dont last long.

    sanchez is an exceptional player but might struggle at city where the limelight is not always on him..we have kdb,silva,kun,sterling.

    i still blame wenger though for all this mess.

    1. I don’t think Sanchez would struggle in City, because most of his goals, assists and take-ons were made in open play schemes and with individual efforts. I consider him as the most talented player Arsenal ever have, along with Thierry Henry.

      You are right about players like Song, Hleb and Adebayor, but Van Persie and Nasri were successful for at least one season in the other clubs. Let’s see how he performs under different manager.

      Arsenal are lucky to have used him when he was in his prime, where his next destination club could only work with an aging Sanchez.

      1. @gotanidea

        You said;
        “I consider him as the most talented player Arsenal ever have, along with Thierry Henry.”

        As much as I respect your opinion, I disagree with your choice of best player ever in Arsenal.

        Personally, I think Dennis Berkamp is the best and most talented Arsenal player this generation ever witnessed. He made things look easy for other players – Henry inclusive.

        As Wenger often says: “The cheapest and easiest thing to have in life is opinion.”
        Thus this is my opinion.

      2. You obviously never saw Dennis Bergkamp play. I recommend looking him up on utube!

  3. I don’t think Lemar or Draxler can replace Sanchez, because their playing styles are very different. But getting Lemar and Draxler together might be able to cover Sanchez’s departure, in a different way.

    After seeing the pictures of Draxler, Kolasinac and Mustafi together in an NBA match, I feel Draxler’s arrival is a big possibility. Draxler needs to play as a starter to guarantee his spot in Germany World Cup team and there are many German speaking players in Arsenal (some are his good friends).

    Now it is only a matter of the willingness of the board and Wenger in spending huge amount of money, for rebuilding Arsenal with high profile players like Draxler, Lemar and Goretzka.

  4. I don’t like how they sneaked the Mavrapanos one by us. I hope he’s not filling that CB space that we were said to be looking into. It would look like they lied about him intended to be loaned out with one eye on the future. After Liv beat City Manu Che and whomever to the most expensive CB signing, it would look really bad if we said it’s not about the players price only matter how good he is before sticking him straight into our first team squad. He was probably intended to be a cheap back up for the time being but they knew they couldn’t justify that so mentioned being blown away in training so much so that it changed their minds completely. He might have a big future ahead of him but us relying on him before then looks weak. We’ll know for sure if we sign a CB, Evans or someone else, if we don’t well then something smells very bad about this Mavrapanos decision.

  5. The major point to consider is this- we need QUALITY players to replace those leaving.Wenger like the rest of us knew Sanchez wanted out before the season started and would wait until the January window before finally getting his wish.You would hope we haven’t spent the last 4 months hoping he would have a change of heart and stay.So Wenger should have used this time to plan and prepare for who is coming in.Draxler is an obvious name for the left side and it seems Malcom for the right to replace Wally Walcott.Lets get players in NOW who want to play for this club and let’s start rebuilding NOW.Obvious to all of us but who knows what goes through Wengers mind.

  6. Draxler in for Sanchez Malcom to replace Walcott ANM to come in for Coq when we need a DM.We will have enough to scrape a top 4 finish to build a team for next season with a new manager in place

  7. Sort of OT but

    LC played Chelsea off the pitch in that first half(
    unfortunately the score doesn’t reflect it) and Mahrez was unplayable down the right flank.

    Mahrez would imho be a fantastic replacement for
    Alexis and I REALLY like Maguire on the back line.
    Brings steel, skill and intensity that Arsenal don’t
    currently have in any of there CB’s.

    One of Draxler or Malcolm would be a good piece of
    business as well.

    With that said my worthless opinions on what Arsenal should do this month.

    Out:
    Coquelin–$12M
    Sanchez–$25-30M
    Walcott–$15M
    El Neny—$10M
    Debuchy–loan

    IN
    Mahrez–$40M
    Maguire–$30M
    Draxler–$35M

    $30M spent in January to seriously upgrade the
    talent on the roster.

    Switching to a back four, I would love this lineup

    Laca
    Draxler—Ozil—Mahrez
    Maitland Miles—Jack W
    Saed—-MaGuire—Mustafi(Boss)—HB
    Cech

  8. 1. Its not a mathematical situation – its one of opportunities for winning major silverware. At Man City and Man Utd there are opportunities. At Arsenal there are none.
    2. There has not been balance in the Arsenal team for years – how does he hope to find it by allowing Sanchez to leave ?
    3. Wenger knew Sanchez wanted to leave back in the summer – everyone did. Why accept a bid and hunt for a replacement on the last day of the transfer window?
    4. There is nothing quick with Wenger.

    Nothing will be concluded before January 31st and Sanchez will leave for nothing in the summer – but not before disrupting the club even further.
    And as for bringing in a class replacement – who is going to want to come now? with the club in disarray and managed as it is?

  9. Aexis Sanchez to Man Utd. What Arsenal need is the Team of people who work on the Man Utd
    Transfers because you have to hand it to them First they got RVP now Scanchez I take my hat off to them. As for the Arsenal transfer team ie (Wenger and the Board) they haven’t a clue. They should hang their heads in shame for bringing Arsenal to this sorry state.

  10. Arsenal watched Maguire on numerous occasions prior to his £19m transfer from Hull but decided he was not good enough? Well be is a cut above any of our centre backs including Mustafi,and will probably feature in England’s first eleven at the World Cup finals Another example of the incompetence of the Arsenal recruitment team which is of course governed by AW.

    1. We have Mstafi Bossielny as proven center backs,and Holding Chambrs who are very promising.
      As for “featuring for England” even Jenkinson featured….

  11. Love to have Draxler though I feel he’s slight and not a physical player.
    I just hope we get our business done in quick time and don’t replace our top players with okay players

    Sanchez to MU please noooooo!
    Can’t stick MU can’t stick Mourinho and they are more of a rival to us this year than City.
    Maybe city genuinely are waiting until the Summer or is a deal already done with city subject to us getting a replacement done?
    I just want the guy gone now I hate this long running saga and impact it’s having on our team.

  12. Forget about all the talk about Utd. Unless Sanchez wants to go there then it does not matter what Utd offer us he is not going there. All indications are he wants to joinCity.
    Forget about Arsenal’s bluster about wanting £35 mil. When you’re dealing with a player who can go for free in June, you really don’t have a strong hand when it comes to bargaining over a fee now. City don’t desperately need him, they can just wait and sign him on a Bosman in the summer.
    Clearly Sanchez wants to go to City now and I think he sees himself getting in 10 appearances for them and collecting an EPL winners medal. If we don’t sell now in June Sanchez then pockets the £20-30 mil that would have come our way now. So either way he wins.
    So if we take the £20 mil on offer it can be put towards Malcom, if he is willing to come. If we don’t sell we keep an unhappy player who is only giving 75% and have no money to put towards any transfers.
    Wenger took a big gamble in the summer in keeping Ozil and Sanchez to try to get the Wenger 4th place trophy. Also in his deluded mind he saw himself able to convince Sanchez and Ozil over the season. Unfortunately for us Wenger’s gamble is quite obviously going to fail and my gut reaction is that the Board have suddenly realised that £130 mil is gping to walk out the door in the summer and are going to claw some money back no matter what Wenger may say.
    I do also have to say that the way Wenger is talking despite the hopes of many I do not believe he has decided to leave this summer. So god help the club. We are in a very bad place.

  13. OT:Ozil is a WC player but he has done nothing to worth 300 L a week we’r reportedly offering him….So if he wants to go good luck….

    1. i just want to see us, the secind richest club, begin to pay 300/week, as to attract real talent, thats todays price

      1. A decent manager would have looked to build a team around Ozil. If Arsenal retain Ozil there is still a chance with a new manager.

    2. It’s not my money so idgaf what any of our players get paid.
      As long as they are trying their best for the club in every game, like Jack, Alexis, Coq, etc do, and not just picking up the money and not given trying to fight for their place on the team, like Walcott, Debuchy, etc!.
      But if he wants to go, then good luck to him and who ever else wants to follow him out the exit

  14. i am surprised madrid do not consider alexis, they are in a free fall, have money, would love to see him out of the prem, when your competition buy your best player, its a double ess-storm

  15. Fun times in transfer window still XD

    I would prefer Alexis goes out the EPL but considering the latest demand from AFC to UTD for Alexis…

    Martial isn’t a bad player, he has potential still and he can already perform, he knows the EPL after time with UTD.

    Martial could cover CF role like Alexis, he can also play the left AM role as well, he has pace and can linkup play nicely.

    Wenger is a fan of Martial and whatever manager we get next would appreciate a player of that quality, more so if he can settle into AFC and develop some teamwork under the last bit of Wengers reign, I believe he would be played as well due to Wenger liking the lad.

    If we had to bid cash for Martial then I do think it would cost us more than what we could get for Alexis, more than Draxler would cost but if they really want Alexis… How much time will Martial and Rashford get when a big name will come in and fill the role they have been used in?

    Imagine getting Martial from UTD, Draxler for £40 million and Malcom for £40 million. Keep Ozil if we can but got Draxler to take over if he doesn’t, might make him sign if he believes in the rebuild.

    Might not win us the EPL next year but think about the year after that.
    Wenger contract would have ran out if he doesn’t leave at the end of this season, a new manager will be coming in with that quality as a AM line that is also settled in the EPL.

    Ahead of them, one of the deadliest CF in the world and if Wenger doesn’t ruin him 1st, he will be settled in the EPL and banging in the goals.

  16. Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge ozil fan but formation and potential signings always hinges on ozil playing in the centre which I find a bit redundant

    For instance, buying lemar who plays left midf and the no 10 role means he’s only limited to the left where he’s more inclined to be crossing to an aerially weak striker. He could alter his game to be an iniesta type player but with out current midfield we will still need a DM coverage. Personally I’m not convinced by him especially by the price tag he carries
    Draxler will be a wonderful signing in any forward role. I will love him in a no 10 role or as a shadow striker
    Martial…… A man can only dream. He should even be a better player than he his at the moment.

    PS: I don’t think ozil is gonna sign and I’m left wondering why we aren’t hearing Madrid or Bayern moving for Sanchez tho

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