There is plenty of talk surrounding Arsenal’s pursuit of Julian Draxler today, with Paris Saint-Germain claimed to have slapped an asking price on the player’s head.
Latest reports claim that Alexis Sanchez will only be sold if we can agree a deal to bring the German winger in from the French giants, with Draxler supposedly available for £40 Million.
Arsenal are claimed to be eyeing a deal worth £30 Million, £10 Million shy of the supposed asking price, but I don’t expect the £40 Million asking price to prove an issue if our club is serious about his arrival, especially when considering we were ready to pay £90 Million for Thomas Lemar last summer.
With the German available in the coming window, I don’t see why his arrival should have any reflection on the future of Alexis Sanchez, who has done very little in an Arsenal shirt this season despite being kept in a first-team role.
The Chilean may well be forced to fight for his place with the arrival of Draxler, who would put pressure on the 29 year-old’s importance in the side. His signing could also prove key in trying to persuade the duo of Ozil and Alexis to stay with the club beyond the summer, should he prove to be a big hit in North London.
Reports today claimed that club chiefs were growing confident of striking a deal that would see both players stay at the Emirates beyond their current deals, but it seems hard to believe that we would be able to extend the pairs contracts with such little time remaining.
Both Alexis and Ozil will be allowed to talk to foreign clubs about potential free transfers from January.
Should Arsenal push to sign Draxler while attempting to keep both Ozil and Alexis until the summer?
Pat J
Honestly, we always needed another top attacker in addition to Alexis. If we lose Alexis we will need 2 top attackers. If we lose Alexis and ozil we will need three. But highly unlikely Wenger will do that. I dont consider iwobi, welbeck, walcott, Akpom to be top players btw.
City will have Alexis, Aguero, Sane, Sterling and Debruyne. Spurs, Chelsea, United, Liverpool who are already ahead of us in terms of top players will be strengthening even further
We arent doing a good job keeping ? with the Jones’s so to speak
Agree, Draxler is not as creative as Sanchez, but he could be Van Persie 2.0, because of his stature and strength. If Arsenal wants to replace Sanchez, they should get a more creative and more skillful attacking midfielder that is used to play with Barcelona football level.
Ideally, keep Ozil at least and get Draxler and Lemar then our attack is sorted. (Ozil, Draxler, Lemar, Lacazette). But unfortunately Le Professeur doesn’t think that way.
Ozil is not worth his big wage increase demand. Most of his assists came from set pieces and dead ball situations.
In the last match, he got robbed a lot and often did not chase it back. At least Sanchez chased the ball back if robbed and he is not afraid to make risky and unpredictable moves/ passes.
Lol another blind ozil hater. Ozil is miles better than alexis this season. Alexis is playing solo, has record number of losing the ball and doesnt really care if we win as he is sulking we didn’t let him go city like th kid wanting his new toys.
Ozil is surprisingly very committed, he is playing as a hybrid creative midfielder doing both santi role of getting the ball deep to organise play and his usual creative self. Basically they seem to have switched personality with ozil being ever-present and alexis doing this thing solo. Who would have thought that at the start of the season.
MIND YOU I always liked alexis more than ozil before this season. Even if ozil is playing to raise his paycheck, its better than alexis agreeing a new deal and turning his back on us when we needed him most.
Dat gud one if sanchez nd ozil decied to go rember we stil need Draxler Lemar Fekir. we need kostas monalas and ter sten gen as a keeper
What the hell are you lot smoking, keep Sanchez you must be joking we should have sold him in the summer. He’s the reason almost all of our attacks break down. Most gunners have list sight of what true world class players are. We used to have Bergkamp Henry Overmars and Pires and our attackers, very rarely were these guys out of a game never inconsistent and never lost the ball as much as Sanchez does . Sanchez has lost the ball over 130 times in the last 5 games world class don’t do this when you see Messi Neymar Ronaldo bad co play thet are never as inconsistant and greedy as sanchez. He’s been the same for the last the seasons, the cracks papered over by his goals.
We’re better off without Sanchez, city can have him for nothing for all I care even better give us Aguero in exchange (twice the player sanchez is). good riddence is all i say.
The fans easily forgot what the players have done for the club, just because a dip of form in half of a season. Messi, Neymar and (especially) Ronaldo lost the ball a lot, you can watch their games again and count how many times they lost it.
Sanchez has scored 72 goals in 133 appearances for Arsenal, and most of his goals were created from open plays and individual efforts. Unlike Ozil, whose most of his assists came from set pieces and dead ball situations.
Without Sanchez’s goals in the last season (24 goals in Premier League), Arsenal would not reach the fifth position. To each his own, but let’s see what will happen if Arsenal lose a creative player like him in the next season.
This coming from a guy who always talking about our lack of pass accuracy which is also giving ball away is hilarious. It is not a matter of deep form to me. I believe the guy is doing it on purpose. Do Messi and Ronaldo gave ball away 66 times in consecutive two matches? It is you that need to watch those guy again.
gotanidea, whats your solution? he does not want to stay, if he did he would have signed? we all love his contribution last season, but he is not producing this year, he turns 30 in april, he wants out. unless he suddenly gets back to last years form, we will not finish top 4, and he shows no sign of giving it all. we went thru this w cesc, w RvP, and now we know how this ends. if you can get him to psg and get a younger draxler, this would be amazing. if he goes to city, then not good, but especially for free in summer… bottom line, he is gone already, you see it in his play
get draxler ..keep ozil allow Sanchez to leave …he’s heart is elsewhere.. I dont see (Sanchez) a passionate arsenal player anymore
Only weak management and fear of fan unrest stopped the sale of Sanchez – let’s be real!
No chance Sanchez is staying and should be sold but looks like that he will wait until summer?
Believe Draxler has real potential and could fit into our set up very nicely – like to see him alongside Lacazette?
Getting Draxler would possibly increase chances keeping Ozil as well!
But what CD should be brought in? Personally not convinced about Van Dijk and not for the money mentioned in the press! Thinking of Mangala actually…what do you think? Swap Sanchez with Mangala?
Just can’t think of any defenders that are realistic targets for Arsenal!
Finally I like to see Maitland Niles and Wilshere together in central midfield – have a feeling they could compliment each other like Coquelin and Cazorla! In front of them Ozil, Lacazette and Draxler?
Arsenal could force Sanchez to leave if they want to. Just leave him on the bench for a few matches and he would get the signal clearly.
He could still stay and I hope so, because it would be difficult to find another creative and skillful player like him. Lemar’s and Draxler’s football styles are not similar to Sanchez’s at all.
Had £90 million for Lemar; rather get Draxler for £40 million and Leon Bailey £30 million.
Save £20 million from Lemar, get 2 players not 1, and better chance at least 1 comes good.
I’d sell Sanchez and Theo, and talk to “Diamond Eye” and work magic to bring Pulisic over either Jan or in summer.
Hopefully new manager only has to worry about CB and new GK. Unfortunately Kos and Cech not reliable anymore, and Holding and Chambers suffer in development from manager who rather play aged LB at CB.
if burnley win, we will drop to 7th, it will take magic to be in 4th in this league come end of season. alexis is cancer, and the longer it goes, the worse it will get. to attract top players on a europa quality club will get tough. we are becoming everton…
Forget who scored 24 league goals in the last season (most of the goals were from open plays and individual efforts), that made Arsenal reached the fifth position? Your lack of support would demotivate him even further, which would lead to lower final league position for Arsenal, at the end of this season.
and 5 goals so far this season, he laughed at our squad on the bench, do you think he really intends to stay? I don’t forget, i am a realist, he said he demands to go, he has not signed a contract to extend, he remains vigilant to leave, and it shows in his performance level. sorry, been thru cesc, RvP, nasi… this never ends well, he is ripping apart the clubhouse… btw, he sat on the bench at barca,
How can a guy on our payroll hold us to ransom?
He must be benched for a few games stating clearly that he is being punished for not being committed while earning a salary from us. And he will not play till management is satisfied that his attitude has changed.
Am sure, he will feel insecure as longer his benching continues the chances of earning that fat paycheck at city get dented.
Are you an arsenal or Alexis supporter. Can you see everything he does aside scoring on the pitch is hurting us. I believe you are one of those who think he won’t down tool.
We are becoming Everton?
We are not THAT good!
Sorry to go off topic. If anyone ever doubted my criticism of Paul Merson’s reporting on Gillette Soccer Special then just go to he’s commentary on the Manchester United-Burnley game. With United 2-0 down he almost cried into he’s microphone when Lundgard missed a sitter then suddenly happiness to the extreme when United scored, absolute euphoria as if he was lifelong Stretford ender. Never seen that behaviour towards Arsenal
Yay, we are 6th, not 7th!
Ya it was crucial Burnley didn’t win today
My biggest fear is that we might not even finish in the Top 6 this season
So it’s Burnley we’ve got to be worried about not Manchester United
OH GOODY. WELL THAT’S ALRIGHT THEN, EH?
Honest question is Sean dyche better than Arsene wenger ?
Wenger is one deluded manager
How can you even compare the 2 of them!
I hope for your sanity that is a rhetorical question. If you don’t know Dyche is streets ahead of Wenger , then my odd friend, you have real problems.
He goes to Bayern Munich
irrelevant as long as wenger stays in charge …
Why not keeping sanchez and adding draxler would make arsenal squad much stronger. But i dont think philanthropist wenger would do that. He is good in reserving the money and making our fans frustrated.
Think this is a pretty simple one; Sanchez been on his way out for ages, Paris wants him too and pays a lot of money; he likes idea of Paris team with Neymar and other South America players.. Just swap players and call it a day.
Add Goetska and Luis and we will look better this season…I have to be honest, i watch games because i love football, Arsenal is my team but right now, i like to watch Liverpool the most, the OX was brilliant in position Klopp has him, scoared…
The 3 are needed, no use to add just one and hope, it is useless, thee are 3 addition needed and we can pay and get, Goetseka for sure if we can extend Ozil…With Draxler, this is the german team midfield main guns, a good think for national teaml for them to rehearse…Then we have one of or the best middle in the world. The 3, cheap as iur board, extend, pay
ozil with a bonus signing and we got it as cheap asses we are…Peace
It is painfully obvious that Arsenal made a huge mistake in not selling Sanchez last summer. And so what if he went -or still goes to Man City? They are way out of sight anyway, with or without him. A differently run club with real money to spend, a real manager and a real owner, none of which we remotely have. Even for no fee, if necessary , Sanchez must leave in January if we can force him out, since he is probably waiting for the summer now and getting a huge signing on fee , since he will be a free transfer . In the meantime he is poison and undermining the club and team. Who else noted that no one really congratulated him on his goal against LIVERPOOL? Without real team moral any team is fatally damaged and that is where we are , thanks entirely to Wenger. BUT FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT HAPPENS TO SANCHEZ IS THAT WE SACK WENGER ASAP!
I’d let Sanchez go now. We’ve tried long enough to re-sign him it hasn’t worked. And I can’t blame him for waiting to play under Pep – he’s doing incredible things at City.
The sooner we get a replacement, the sooner they get up to speed and integrateted into the team.
Honestly we are not competing for title this year (sadly) so let’s get in new fire Power as quick as pos so we in better situation next season – whilst still fighting hard in every game for this one
Arsenal’s problem is not strengthening in key areas rather than whether or not they sold Sanchez or Ozil.
During the last transfer window it made little sense to sell Sanchez. Many of those saying he should have been sold have the benefit of hindsight.
Consider also this: if he had been sold and Arsenal been in the same position (i. e. 6th)many would have claimed that if we had kept him we would have been 4th or better.
keeping sanchez and purchase drexlar, you make it sound like there’s a choice and confirmation involved.
sanchez is not staying otherwise he would of signed a contract by now, ozil hasn’t sign one as yet probably because certain promises will need to materialize, basically wenger will need to ascertain players like him and lacazettes caliber.
there not going to sack wenger, and if by some shocking ‘REASON’ they did, then something is wrong.
the truth of the matter is, although we have some great youngsters easily holding their place in the first team arsenal and especially ‘wenger’ should be able to identify a major tell sign, being that you can’t have an ozil, lacazette or even sanchez every 2-3 years and expect them to stay. Arsenal should and do invest in youth but it has to be done for more than saving money on world class players. these elite players are playing with their eyes wide open so improved contracts just looks like your paying them not to ask questions. it’s why van persie went and why all the players that we sold to manchester in the great scheme of things hasn’t really affected us.
There is a reason why every ambitious player and good players always want to leave Arsenal at some point. We can sell all these players but truth be told, as long as Wenger is the manager, we will end up a frustrated lot regardless of who we buy. Sanchez has been great for us since he came, Ozil on the other hand has been very inconsistent. It doesn’t matter how many world class players you buy if you can’t manage them well. ManU have invested heavily just like Mancity, but you can see the difference between the two managers. The biggest transfer for us is Wenger out & a better manager in before we even begin to talk about which players should go or come in.