There’s still quite a while until the transfer window opens, but with Alexis Sanchez’s future still in the balance, speculation surrounding his contract situation is only going to continue.
We have heard plenty of rumours that suggest he wants out of Arsenal in the summer; as well as a few statements that suggest he is happy in North London. Whatever the truth is, we won’t truly know until he officially decides whether hold talks with the club over a new deal. But with under 18 months left, it’s vital the negotiations take place before the end of the summer.
Several clubs are apparently monitoring Alexis’ situation at Arsenal, with interest mainly coming from other Premier League clubs such as City and Chelsea, as well as in SERIE A with Juventus. It’s the latter club that has the media’s attention today, with reports in Italy stating that Juventus have now submitted an official bid to Arsenal Football Club.
The report was generated by Corriere dello Sport, but it has since been picked up by the media outlets in the UK. It states that Sporting directors Giuseppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici have made an initial offer of €30m (£25m), after months of showing an interest in Alexis.
£25 million is a measly offer in today’s transfer market, especially since the likes of Lucas Perez was signed for £17 million and Granit Xhaka for over £30 million! £25 million therefore seems like a very low amount for a player of his quality. Of course the offer is probably taking his contract length into account, with other clubs being aware they can test the waters with lower offers given the situation. However even with a year left (come the summer), £25 million for Alexis is still low for an initial offer.
Regardless of what Juventus offer at the moment, I’m sure Arsenal are likely to show them the hand; however if it becomes clear that Alexis has no intention of signing a new deal, then much like the RVP case, it would probably be better to sell with a year left, rather than risk losing him for free next year.
Fans in Chile planned a protest for Alexis to leave Arsenal and around 14,000 names signed onto the event. However come the day of the planned action, not even 0.1% of that number turned up, with 5-10 fans of Alexis deciding to speak out.
Here’s hoping that Alexis commits his future to the Gunners, because right now he’s got the club in a position of control.
AH