Who should Arsenal sell to free up wages for Ozil and Sanchez?

Although there have been many rumours about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being given a much-improved contract extension by Arsenal, there is still no confirmation of the Ox being any closer to signing a new deal. This is making it much more likely that the 23 year-old will be allowed to go to join Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool rather than let him run down his contract next season. Wenger said that losing the Ox would be a ‘disaster’ for the club, but if he defers signing a new contract then Le Prof will have no choice but to let him go to our rivals.

Arsene Wenger has already admitted that there will have to be a stream-lining of our ‘heavy’ squad this summer, and we also have to reduce our massive wage bill to conform to new Premier League rules.

There are the obvious players that must be disposed of at any cost including Debuchy, Jenkinson, Akpom, Calum Chambers and Lucas Perez. The stumbling block in nearly all these cases is not the transfer fee but, as we saw with Jenkinson in January, the buying club matching the current high wages that Arsenal have granted them up til now, a problem that could also occur with Jack Wilshere if he decides to find a new club.

Another very likely departure is Olivier Giroud, especially if Wenger is successful in signing Alexandre Lacazette. Then either Ospina or Szczesny will be allowed to leave or maybe even both if they can command a reasonable transfer fee. Kieran Gibbs is also in the last year of his contract, but if the Ox and Debuchy also go we may be a little short on the defensive side..

27 Comments

  1. If it comes to it, just pay the amount to cancel one or two of these contracts. No club even remembers who Debuchy is at this point.

  2. Whatever it takes to keep Sanchez… Ozil is easily replaceable but only Messi, Neymar, or Hazard can replace him… Sanchez loss will be huge one to our future aspiration

      1. Not sure why you get thumbed down for that. I can’t think of many other players who could replace Sanchez, actually I would take Suarez. 🙂

    1. What’s with all the hype?How many star players have left Arsenal and were better or even stood out in their teams as the best players.There were some players who looked okay in other teams but when they came to Arsenal they seemed like they were already stars before coming.What makes people think Sanchez is irreplaceable?People have to shun such thinking.But I wouldn’t blame you as our manager lacks grit and strong character which has driven itself into the club’s mentality.Even Arsenal survived without Thierry Henry who was another level as compared to Sanchez.

  3. For me,this is not an issue at all as we have many of them;
    Debuchy..
    Jenkinson
    Campbell
    Wilshere
    Gibbs
    Ospina
    Elneny
    That should be enough and Sanogo is gone already…

    1. Elneny will not be going anywhere. He’s a Mr reliable, those days when you are low on numbers this is the squad player managers look for. Don’t know how many people cannot see that. Parlour was one during Arsene’s reign, one of the best examples of a reliable squad player.

      1. I say get rid of Elneny, shouldn’t have bought him in the first place. He wouldn’t make it into the Burnley first 11. Keep Gibbs, he fits the new system well. Sell Walcott, that will free up a lot of wages.

  4. May have to sell players for less of a fee due to overpaying on their wages. Terrible management in terms of contracts for squad players. Who is responsible for these decisions, Ivan, Wenger? I don’t know.

    Lesson to be learned for sure. Stop overpaying average players. Theo should never have been paid so much, should have sold him years ago. Jackie boy in the same boat, Welbeck another. Clear out the ones you can, take a loss on the fee if you must, and be ruthless in contract negotiations with squad players. Insane wages for substitute and rotation guys that needs to end.

  5. Someone is obviously telling pokies ?? The Ox recently claimed that he was promised a quick resolution to his contract renewal and stressed that he was upset by the lack of urgency shown from the club, which made him feel unimportant And then there’s Wenger, who has quickly gone from losing Ox would be a disaster too ?? willing to sell him to Liverpool for £25 million.
    Yet the above article makes it sound as if it’s the Ox who’s dragging his feet, over a new contract.

    As well as all the fringe players, it has also been suggested that Giroud, Jack wheelchair and the Ox could well be sold.

  6. Sell Walcott. Overated and high wages for little output. Every season this guy gets a placein the starting 11 before being dropped to the bench in the latter stages.

    1. Walcott had a better goals/assists combined ratio than Ozil last season but most of you are happy to sell Walcott but double Ozil’s wage. I’m sorry but I don’t think selling Walcott is the answer.

  7. Don’t need to sell to free up wages, we have other income to cover the increases if needed.
    AFC needs to sell to get rid of some of the driftwood instead, focus on that and let Gazidis and Co worry about the business…

    Fringe players is where I would hope AFC starts, players like Jenkinson and Debuchy, get them out of the club. For Jenks I do hope we can find him a good club, I like the lad but he needs to play regular to do well which is something he won’t do at AFC.

    Some of the higher wage players will not be leaving, who thinks Jack Wilshere will be sold while injured?
    Is Giroud the CF we should be looking to sell or should we get rid of the other CFs instead? Welbeck, Theo and Perez.

    As for the Ox, he gets injured a lot and a decision needs to be made, keep him or promote from within. M-Niles is waiting for chances and when given a chance he has impressed, could be less injury prone and obviously less wages… I rate M-Niles so if we lose the Ox I would hope we give that lad a chance. I think he will surprise a lot of us like Bellerin did after his dodgy start.

    1. Reason why Giroud is likely to leave is because he demands playing time and doesn’t like coming off the bench. So if Lacazette or anyone better were to come in, that would certainly be the end of Giroud.

    2. I totally agree with getting rid of Theo – lovely lad but he is just not good enough. I would keep Giroud as he is a different option but would let Wellbeck go as he works hard but you would only get 10 goals a season from him. Cannot see what Perez has done wrong in his first season apart
      from get injured but it looks like Wenger has a problem with him – not world class but a different option. I’m sorry but I cannot see any of the Arsenal youngsters making into the first team, maybe only Beilik but definitely not M-Niles, They are a poor bunch and I bet you will only see them in Championship football at best

  8. Lemar is a Hazard type of player that we can get for less than 30m ,should get him as a carzorla replacement, he got pace,frair,dribbler,technical and valuable than lacazette ,If there is justice in this world, lemar will be a hit wherever he goes.

  9. I disagree that Ozil is “easily” replaceable. He is replaceable but I still believe in him and sadly have more respect for him than some Arsenal fans. If Ozil’s season next year is like 2015-2016 I will be very satisfied. He just needs to work harder and with more passion

    To free up money
    Wilshere because of injuries
    Ramsey if necessary
    Eleney
    Welbeck
    Campbell
    Jenkinson
    Ospina
    Debuchy
    If Lucas wants to leave then Lucas

    1. Not one starter, none of them barely played last season. It was only Cazorla missing for long spell with Welbeck, who isn’t a starter. The first team was a million miles away from winning the league. Coquelin should go, Walcott should go, I’d say more but we need to start somewhere. A massive upgrade on Coquelin who’s one dimensional, and a much better all round player than Walcott. That is how I’d start, it’s easy to go through the players who don’t play much, because they don’t have as many fans. So the thumbs in these instances will maybe not tell the whole story.

    2. Ozil is a fantastic player when strategically surrounded by players that share his technical understanding of the game. It no coincidence that the majority of his passes target Sanchez and Santi when healthy. Add a PEA or Lacazette and Mesuts assist total will once again skyrocket.

      I would also love to see Xhaka paired with a Seri or Matuidi type box 2 box midfielder allowing MO even more offensive freedom to unlock opposing defenses. Ramsey has the engine but at times inadvertantly handcuffs Ozil with his propensity to recklessly bomb forward.

  10. If we Get lacazette who is vasertile in the front line,still we will have to look for a young striker who has the skillset to succeed in the premier league,physical strength height, pace is must not everyone is blessed like Aguero or messi

  11. I think we should sell Mert and give some young players a chance (Holding and Chambers), Debuchy, Jenkinson, Campbell (only because we don’t play him), Perez (only because we don’t play him), Giroud (because he doesn’t seem to be willing to come of the bench), Wilshire (we can’t keep him fit).

    I would keep Ox as our best wing-back if we continue with 3 at the back. If we revert to 4 at the back I am neutral on Ox (on the wings) but like him in the center where Wenger probably sees Ozil and Ramsey ahead of him.

    I would also be willing to sell Ozil if we sign an other creative midfielder.

  12. @Midkemma in the previous article you said Giroud is world class and has talent.Are you really sure about that?I don’t think he has talent or is world class.Arsenal is the team making him look good.Stick Giroud in an average team and he won’t stand out.Forget the stats for a moment because there a lot of players out there who people say are average but according to stats the story is different.Giroud is an average player like it or not.It’s not his fault though.That’s just how football is.

  13. We could always sell Ozil to fund Alexis. But I think in the new formation those two looked good sharing the left and right sides. At least I hope it was the formation, and not Alexis putting himself in shop window whilst Ozil playing for a bigger salary. We have to sell some big earners. Walcott Coquelin Perez Giroud Wilshere, they have their fans, but these players have very important positions around the first team. We need to up-grade asap, also loosen funds.

    I’d sell off…
    Walcott
    Perez
    Debuchy
    Ospina
    Coquelin
    Jenkinson
    Giroud
    Wilshere
    Gibbs
    Plezeguelo
    Campbell
    Akpom

  14. Given the number of games Arsenal have to play next season, including Europa league, there has to be sufficient players to allow rotation. Selling too many players outside the first team, without better replacements, will leave the squad too reliant on academy players. There is a risk given past form of running players into the ground!

  15. If we sell Wilshere , Gibbs , Ox , Ramsey, Jenkinson what happens to the minimum homegrown player restriction?

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