Would January exit affect Arsenal squad morale?

Stan Collymore has claimed that an exit for one of Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil from Arsenal would dampen squad spirits.

The Gunners duo are into the final six months of their contract at present, and both are heavily tipped with the exit door. Arsenal now have to consider how important it would be for them to either cash-in on either star, or force them to leave amidst the likelihood that both leave for free this summer.

All interviews by the manager insist that neither is available for transfer this in the upcoming window, but various reports like to contradict the Frenchman’s claims.

The Chilean did have his move in the summer blocked when a bid from Manchester City was accepted, only for the club to fail to convince replacement Thomas Lemar to join from Monaco. All summer however, Wenger had also insisted that the player was not available, before attempting to sell.

Collymore now insists that a sale would have detrimental effects on the playing squad should either Sanchez or his team-mate Ozil be permitted an exit.

He said: “Arsene Wenger could perhaps let one of Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil go in January, but I’d be tempted, if I were him, to keep both and let them go on a free in the summer if they want to.

“It’s not simply a matter of how much money Arsenal would get.

“If I was a player of the level just under Sanchez or Ozil, who wanted to kick on and win trophies and I saw them leave, I would be going, “We are in trouble now”.

“There would be all sorts of conversations in the dressing room, with a few mardy bums going, “The gaffer has gone mad here, he can’t let both of them go”.

“Wenger might be able to get rid of one of them, on the basis that it’s a good financial deal. But, with no guarantees of Champions League football next season, they have to be keeping all the positivity they can, which means retaining both of them.”

Tags alexis sanchez Arsenal Ozil Stan Collymore

27 Comments

  1. It can’t be worse than it is already if Sanchez left…I doubt his replacement will give the ball away 32 times in ONE game.

    1. If Sanchez or Ozil leave it will be very hard to win Europa or FA/EFL cup. That is my only concern, if we lose them we lose the only trophies we can actually win so Wenger must see through his decision of keeping them for the final year!

      1. off topic… Kane just scored his 8th hat trick… all against lower teams… why cant any of our players do thia on a regular occasion ? I am sure if Laca was left on pitch for full 90 mins he prob would have has a few by now… !! Sanchez only got 1 in 3 years I think .. Giroud .. has he scored any ?
        Aguerp scores them for fun also

        1. @neil
          Lol.
          Yes. Giroud scored 3 times in our 4-0 rout of Aston Villa to finish second in 2016 (?) as we finished 2nd.

    2. You doubt ??? I’m sure as hell even Lucas Perez would have been more useful than sanchez as he has behaved shockingly in the past couple of games….

    3. @Incarnate

      Yeah it’s almost as if Sanchez is playing for the opposition at times haha. But as bad as he’s been, he’s still got 5 goals, and 3 assists, and I don’t see anyone within our squad that would do any better. An out of form Sanchez, is still a better option than an in-form Iwobi, or Welbeck, who are the two most likely to replace Sanchez should he leave in January.

    4. I think sanchez needs to go. He is a shadow of his old self. Welbeck has done better this season I think. Ozil will hopefully stay but we still need more quality around him. Lemar draxler bailey and nzonzi would be lovely. Goodbye sanchez giroud walcott xaka

  2. Ozil leaving certainly will,not quite sure about sanchez though. Maybe if AS-07 leaves,that may fire up the whole squad to stand up and fight for the self-respect of the team and to prove to all the SNAKES who use ARSENAL as a stepping-stone for big paychecks that we are a fottballing family and money is not greater than than any family….

  3. City wont buy sanchez in january, they in superb form. Its 80% city will win premiership.
    They have sterling and sane in high form, so what the point buy sanchez.
    City will take sanchez nex season in free transfer

    1. 80% ?? I’m 1000% sure city will win the epl… Just hope that they lose at least 1 game this season-being a true arsenal fan I can’t see anyone not only match but better THE INVINCIBLES record…As if they keep on going like this they certainly will win more than 26 games….

      1. Looks like the home game against Man City could go to the last game of the season with the possibility of either being involved in the League Cup Final. What a game that could be with us having to beat City to preserve our Invincible tag in the modern era

  4. watching spurs score at will, 4-0, 37 goals for kane in a calander yr, very depressing to think of where we are w respect to our squad & players, no way we finish 4th, making it very difficult to attract talent… the specticle alexis is making for a whole season is making other potential players think twice to come, this is a freaking mess, he should have been gone in august

  5. If Alexis and/or Ozil leave this January, you can kiss any hope of winning Europa League goodbye. We NEED to win Europa to get into CL and we NEED to get into CL to sign top players.

    So it means either take the money and wreck hopes for the season or keeping our hopes alive to win a trophy and get into CL.

    Listen, if Wenger had not screwed up the Lemar transfer this summer we would not be in this situation. Lemar AGREED to contract terms, the club agreed too but Wengers dithering cost us dearly. Lemar can play both Alexis and Ozils positions.

    Another reason why Wenger should leave. ..his dithering had cost us several top players

    1. Btw if Alexis or Ozil leave in January AND we get Lemar or Draxler then that’s different. Im cool with that lol

      1. Top players mean nothing when we don’t have an up to date manager.

        Sanchez is world class. He was here, we were not any closer winning the league, and since last spring he realized Wenger is taking Arsenal nowhere.

        It is ALL about Wenger. When he leaves, we MIGHT have a chance to gun for glory. But not with him in.

    2. Keep Ozil. Sell Sanchez in January. Buy Nzonzi and Mahrez in January. Sanchez no longer wants to play for the club. Top clubs do let go of their star players a times. We have to move on. Other players will step up. A formation Change to 433 or 442 for a start. Midfield of Xhaka and Nzonzi will allow Ozil to flourish more. Mahrez, Lacazette and Ozil in a front three. Willshere Nzonzi and Xhaka in a midfield three.(433 formation). We can sort out the ageing defence in the summer.

  6. Maybe getting rid of Sanchez could actually have a positive effect on the squad. Most likely several players find it demoralizing to have a teammate, who obviously would rather be somewhere else, and they even have to look at him being picked for every important match in spite putting in 70%.
    I think Collymore is wrong.

  7. If ozil and Sanchez stays and Arsenal were to win a trophy ,that could mean Wegner gets a contract extension ,I know what I would prefer,and that is for Arsenal to fail ,and that’s not because I hate the club nor the players, but I want Wegner gone ,and for that reason and that reason alone .Wegner out.

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