Arsenal: Contract Negotiations More Important Than Signings

Arsenal are at a crucial point in Arsene Wenger’s reign at the club. However, the success of this Summer transfer window will be determined by contract negotiations not new signings.

In the modern world big money, big name signings are often the central callings of many fans. The crowd demands money to be spend, even if it does not guarantee success. You don’t have to look far to see the failures of spending money and the success of being frugal.

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Manchester United, under the doomed tenure of Louis Van Gaal, spent over £250 million on a variety of under performing players which ultimately saw them finish outside of the top four and Van Gaal lose his job.

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On the other hand, Premier League champions Leicester City won the league with a bunch of players signed for peanuts in today’s market. Jamie Vardy was £1 million, Kante for a reported £6 million and Mahrez for just £400k and the three were central to the Foxes success this past year.

While fans may bay for clubs to splash the cash, this Summer, Arsenal’s success could well be determined by signing players already in the squad. In particular, Arsenal have two key players who are playing hard ball when it comes to signing a new contract, and the two situations could develop into a serious issue for Arsene Wenger and the Gunners.

The two players that I am obviously talking about are Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal’s two best and most important players. Ozil has two years remaining on his contract, but has now delayed extension talks for the second time, waiting until Germany’s Euro 2016 campaign is over.

This is not particularly issue right now, but if by September, talks have not progressed, then Ozil’s long term future with the club could be in huge doubt.

Sanchez, meanwhile, has reportedly grown frustrated at the club, putting potential contract talks in doubt. The Chilean also has two years remaining on his current deal and as time progresses, like Ozil, his future with the club will grow in doubt.

This is an unfortunately familiar scenario for Arsenal, with major players’ contracts. Players like Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie have both left during Wenger’s tenure with the club due to their contract running down to only a year remaining. Once a player’s contract only has one year left, the club loses much of its power in negotiations.

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This is the issue for Arsenal. They could very possibly be held to ransom by both Ozil and Sanchez in the coming year, and if they are not careful, could lose the two for a fee that is not deserving of their value. If Arsenal do not act swiftly this Summer, they could be in trouble in the coming year. While many are desperate for new signings, it could well be the business that is done with players already on the squad that defines the successes and failures.