Just a week ago the main theme in the football media on the contract situations of the two Arsenal stars was being portrayed almost entirely as negative and the general consensus was that both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil would refuse the new deals being offered to them by the club.
That could still be the case on one if not both of these important Gunners, but there are reasons to believe that Arsenal will end up securing the future of both.
The reason for us to think that the striker wants to remain an Arsenal player, if the TV pundit and former spud Jamie Redknapp is right in what he says in the Daily Mail, come from the reason why Alexis was so unhappy about being replaced by Danny Welbeck towards the end of the heavy win over Swansea.
Redknapp said, “It was bizarre to see Alexis Sanchez go off in a strop against Swansea but I don’t think we should read too deeply into it.
“We should never criticise a player who wants to stay on the pitch.
“The Arsenal forward’s goal in Wales means he is level with Diego Costa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the top of the scoring charts and the Chilean is desperate to win the Golden Boot.
“If I was his manager I would view Sanchez’s actions as nothing more than a desire to play.”
So if Sanchez is thinking about leaving why would he be so focused on scoring goals for Arsenal and winning the golden boot? And the fact that he wants to play so much tells me he is happy with his football. On Ozil the indications are even clearer and come straight from the German playmaker himself, with the Evening Standard reporting his comments showing just how happy he is with his life in London.
Ozil said, “I’ve simply arrived in the Premier League since last season. I’ve remained injury-free for the most part and I feel very comfortable in London now as well.
“I often have visitors, my cousin Serdar and my dog Balboa are basically always with me.
“I am lucky that the friends I was raised with work for me today and are there. And that the right people, who I trust completely, have joined us.
“The two years in Bremen I lived alone, watched TV shows alone, ate alone. That wasn’t for me. Over Christmas everyone was there, everyone slept wherever there was space. It was fun.”
Wenger has seemed very calm about the contract situation of both players as well, so should we be more optimistic that both will soon be signing new deals and staying at Arsenal?
Sam P.