Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez set to Leave the Emirates? No – Says Wenger

By: Toni

Posted: January 2, 2018

Updated: January 2, 2018

For the past few months, Arsenal’s two star players – Ozil and Sanchez - have been linked with a move away from Arsenal during the January transfer window, however the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has insisted they’re going nowehere, according to online sportsbook news.

The star duo are staying put …for now

“Yes, I rule it out,” stressed Wenger when asked about the possibility of them signing for another club at this stage of the campaign. “Will they stay longer? That’s impossible to answer today because I don’t know. I do not think every day about (their futures) at the moment. As long as they are here, they have to give their best for the team and for the club. In my head, they stay until the end of the season. Unless something unbelievable happens, I don’t it should change.”

Sanchez joined the club in the summer of 2014 from Barcelona for around £31m (€35m), and despite facing scepticism whether he could be successful in the Premier League, he was an instant hit. In his first season, the Chilean contributed with a whopping 25 goals overall from the wing and he followed that up with 17 the next season. In his third year (2016/17) with the Emirates side, Sanchez bagged his career best of 30 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions. Until this stage in the season, he has 8 goals in 19 outings, which is lower than in previous seasons at this time of the year, but he’s still feared by the opposition when he gets in front of goal.

Ozil has arguably been even more instrumental as a playmaker for the Gunners since he moved to the Emirates on September 2 in 2013 for a fee of around £42.5m (€50m). This move made him both the club’s most expensive signing at the time and also the most expensive German player of all time. In his first season Ozil made a total of 40 appearances and found the back of the net on 7 occasions, while making himself the master of assists and clinical passes in the process. To date, the German international has played 177 overall games for Arsenal and bagged 36 goals across all competitions, during his four-and-a-half seasons.

The grass is much greener on the other side (because it’s properly watered)

Despite not winning the Premier League title with the likes of Ozil and Sanchez in their team, Arsenal have still managed to win the FA Cup - the second-best accolade in England – on three occasions (2013/14, 2014/15 and 2016/17) with the former and twice with the latter player. But considering their star status, they’ll be hungry to play for the biggest clubs across Europe where they can not only command the biggest paychecks but also have the opportunity to win the biggest trophies.

The Chilean’s goals would surely be missed if he left the Emirates (source: Mirror)

If the star duo leave the Emirates in the summer, it would be disastrous to the team as a whole; the morale within the squad would plummet, but more importantly Wenger would be tasked with an arduous mission – how to replace two marquee players that contribute so much to his team?

Currently, Arsenal sit in 5th position on the Premier League table with only 38 points to their name after 21 rounds. As a comparison, league leaders Man City are top of the table (still undefeated) with a staggering 59 points.

To make matters worse during this period of uncertainty while the transfer window is open, the Gunners will next go up against defending champions Chelsea on Wednesday (January 3). But the good news is they’ll play in front of their home support at the Emirates, so they could have the upper hand if they utilize all their assets the right way. Online sportsbooks in UK favour the visiting side, thanks to their better performances in the league, while a victory for Wenger’s men is not far off. Considering the circumstances for this encounter, we’d place our bets on a draw, and the best part about this is that a tie bet gives out the biggest earning potential.