I do not believe that Sanchez is going to be sold. I read somewhere that Sanchez has an agreement with Arsenal about staying on this season.
Correct me if I am wrong, but he has not even submitted a transfer request. Why are we so sure that he wants to go if he hasn’t made a request yet? Don’t forget, lots of the stuff we read or hear is pure speculation on the part of the media. They want to sell papers and get clicks. It is hard to know what is true and accurate information, and what is not. So with everything, I will wait to hear it directly for a club or the player himself. As far as Sanchez goes all we know is this:
1. He said in an interview that he has made his decision and is waiting on Arsenal to make their move.
2. He said he wants to play in the CL. Which player doesn’t?
3. He has not submitted a formal transfer request nor has he made any statements to the public or the fans.
4. Wenger has said that the team has decided to keep him even at the risk of losing him for free next summer.
5. Wenger has repeatedly told us that he is staying at all costs.
Now, we can glean from the fact the he has not signed a new contract that perhaps he doesn’t want to stay. But that does not necessarily mean that he wants to go. Maybe he wants to wait before penning a new contract to see how the season plays out. Maybe, Sanchez does like Arsenal for giving him the chance to play an blossom into a world class player. Perhaps he feels some loyalty to them and has decided to wait on a new contract to see if they can get back in the CL this year etc. . . There are so many possibilities here that it is hard to speculate. Sanchez has not asked to leave though. . .
Also, as for the team. Many people talk about losing out on money if they do not sell him. Well there is another side of that coin as well.
In keeping Sanchez (and making other additions) Arsenal have a better chance at getting back into the CL. Without Sanchez, it is less likely. Getting back into the CL is worth more than $70 million. Here is how:
1. The bonuses the teams received for CL qualification last year was about $35 million alone. This year it is going to be close to $45 million just from the TV money that is shared among all the teams. So lets use $40-$45 million for that.
2. Increased revenue from CL games in the form of ticket sales for additional sales. Conservatively this is in the neighborhood of $12-$18 million. Add to that, increase in concessions on match day and we are in the range of $15-$20 million.
3. Sales of shirts and kits for Sanchez and other merchandise. I bet this will be low, but still able to get about $2-$5 million.
4. Sanchez has sponsorship deals with outside entities. The way this works, Arsenal are entitled to a certain percentage of any deals Sanchez has or gets because he is an Arsenal player and will be wearing Arsenal kit in his advertisements promotions. Conservatively estimate this at $10-$15 million.
5. There are other sources of revenue for Arsenal for this year in keeping Sanchez that are all smaller. I will group these together. For example, NBC Sports pays the PL for the rights to broadcast the games in the US. This money is shared by all the PL teams. If Sanchez is used in the promotion of the matches, Arsenal gets additional money. All season long, (if Sanchez stays) this would be worth $5 million alone. Combining all of this in this “catch all” we can estimate that at $15 million for the year. Possibly much more.
Adding it all together we get the sum of $77 million – $100 million.
This sum is what Arsenal would make if they kept Sanchez this year and were able to qualify for the CL the next year. Keep in mind that AFC have two ways to get into the CL this year too by either winning the Europa League or finishing in the top 4 of the PL.
NOW, this number will be much much higher in actuality BECAUSE, the higher a team finishes in the PL the more money they get from the PL AND if they should win the PL, FA CUP etc. . they get even more money.
ALL OF THIS HAS A INCREASED CHANCE OF HAPPENING ONLY IF SANCHEZ STAYS.
So financially, keeping Sanchez makes sense. If Arsenal kept him and forgo a $70 million bid, they stand to make more money for the above-reasons. If they lose him next summer for free, they still make out better than any transfer fee this summer.
by USAGooner