Despite Arsene Wenger’s best efforts, it looks as though the Gunners talisman Alexis Sanchez is likely to force his way out of the club this summer. With just one year left on his contract and numerous elite clubs in line for his signature, the Chilean is widely expected to quit Arsenal before next season and the media have been busy linking the Gunners with potential replacements for the irreplaceable Sanchez.
After ridiculous rumors emerged claiming that Arsene Wenger was eyeing Juan Cuadrado of Juventus as a potential Alexis replacement, AS has today linked the Gunners with a player who is somewhat closer to the caliber of the prolific Chilean, Atletico Madrid’s Yannick Carrasco. The report from AS claims that if Arsenal were to lose Sanchez, which is a distinct possibility, then Wenger will turn to the La Liga star as a like-for-like replacement.
Now while I must admit that Carrasco is indeed a world-class talent who can fit in seemlessly into the Arsenal team, this deal will simply not happen. The first and most obvious reason is that Atletico are facing a transfer ban at the moment and will be unwilling to sell the quality players they already have. Second, if the Spanish giants do in fact want to sell, the player still will not land up at the Emirates, with Bayern Munich making their interest clear.
But anyway, I am one of those Gooners who think Alexis Sanchez is simply irreplaceable. There is not a player we could sign at the moment that can bring the same level of quality that the former Barcelona man brings to the team. In my opinion, if the club do in fact have the ambition that the board claims, the services of Sanchez must be retained at all costs, even if it means taking the risk of losing him on a free next summer.
AT