“I am very happy at Arsenal and I’m not thinking about leaving,” Sanchez told the Mirror.
“The unity here between fans, club and players is enormous and the supporters have been fantastic. We suffer the defeats and enjoy the victories together.”
These were the words from one of Arsenal’s most exciting buys in recent windows as far back as January this year. He also, misguidedly as it turns out, claimed: “This campaign we are demonstrating that we are serious candidates for the Premier League title. I think there can be no doubt about our credentials to be champions this time.”
However, since January, Arsenal’s season has somewhat collapsed. It will have frustrated a top player like Sanchez that the Gunners so easily gave up any hope of progressing in the Champions League, lost at home to, what must be considered by their own standards, a lowly Watford team in the FA Cup, and now they’ve lost all opportunity of winning the league. All that remains is the tatters of a disappointing season with the Londoners clinging on to the hope that they win enough of their games to get another Champions League place next season.
Players like Sanchez want more than that and Wenger and Arsenal can’t seem to offer the Chilean forward any hope or any guarantees.
And it transpires that Alexis Sanchez may want to quit the Emirates along with Mesut Ozil. Who can blame them? The club is lethargic at best and the manager gives a new meaning to stubbornness.
It’s also understood the stars want an indication from Wenger about what his summer transfer plans entail, and other clubs will start to take notice of any rumours circulating.
Arturo Vidal, who joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich last summer, has already put the feelers out by saying: “we have played together since playing for the Under-20s, so it would be nice to play with him again!”
Alexis Sanchez has scored 39 goals in 88 appearances since joining the Gunners from Barcelona for £35m in 2014, and those statistics will raise considerable interest across the continent.
Players like Sanchez are always challenging themselves, playing that bid harder, trying another 10% to better themselves and then he must turn around, stop and look at the team he currently plays for and think: ‘Why am I here?’
He needs a bigger club and a bigger stage. He needs Champions League progression, not the stuttering qualifying process Arsenal go through before limping away again. Sanchez, just like every other top performer, wants to win titles and medals and taste glory, but sadly he won’t find what he craves in north London.
This season was Arsenal’s perfect chance to win the league. But, even as every other top club faltered they couldn’t do it, so it’s another year just like the ones before.
Wenger doesn’t seem to see it and has already hinted that there will be no big money spent this coming summer. Not only will that infuriate the faithful supporters, but it will show Sanchez, and anyone else with ambition, that this club is not the place to be.
It will be a problem in the summer when they want to walk away, yet who can blame them?
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