What is at stake here is not so much Alexis Sanchez as an individual but the principle and the respect for Arsenal Football club. When Sanchez signed the original contract it was not stated anywhere that if Arsenal is not in Champions League he would leave. Everyone is obliged to respect the contracts they sign.
Secondly, if Arsenal just succumbs whenever a player expresses the wish to go we shall always lose our best players to the likes of Man City who think they have a lot of money. Whereas previously we sold our best players to pay for the Stadium, the situation now is completely different. Hence we need to send that message loud and clear both in word and action. We need to assert that when we say no we mean exactly that.
In life there are some risks we take to achieve certain objectives. If the risk is losing 50 million today so that in the future we might gain more so be it. Besides if in the course of the season the team performs well Sanchez might see no reason to leave and thus be persuaded to sign a new contract. Also if we win the Premier League we shall get much more money than the 50 million. This would be like a defensive wall for the club against marauders who think any time they can snatch the players they want from us. It would also give us a psychological edge over our rivals..
As for Sanchez being a bad influence in the dressing room this can only happen if the team is not performing well. Players love it when they are winning games and Sanchez will be so motivated to achieve the ultimate success that he will have no reason or time for bickering.
Let the talking be done on the pitch….
David Rusa