Arsenal: Should We Be Confident About Mesut Ozil And Alexis Sanchez?

Arsenal are now reportedly worried about losing Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, just a week after Arsene Wenger was ‘convinced’ they’d stay. What’s going on?

I’m confused. Football is, after all, a confusing business, one in which little is certain and even less is revealed to the public. Arsenal are a club that often sit at the centre of this mire of doubt and question, especially when transfer season comes around.

In particular, the twisting, turning storyline this season focuses on the futures of their manager and their two-star players. Arsene Wenger’s current deal expires at the end of the year – though it would be highly surprising if he were to extend his 20-year stay in North London – while both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have delayed contract talks on numerous occasions, inspiring a multitude of rumours and reports suggesting a move away for both.

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The most recent of these reports comes from David Woods, the chief football writer of the Daily Star. Woods claims that Arsenal are concerned that they will be forced into selling both Sanchez and Ozil this summer with them continuing to stall negotiations. That is cause for significant concern, that is, if it ran with the recent narrative. But it doesn’t. Only last week, Wenger had this to say regarding the futures of his star men:

"“Alexis Sanchez is a committed player who wants to stay. I’m convinced we’ll find an agreement. It has to be in our potential. When the players want to stay it’s easier to find an agreement. We can certainly find an agreement. You cannot put the club in jeopardy as well for the players. I think no matter what happens we’ll try to keep them [Ozil and Sanchez] and we’ll go as high as we can and if we cannot go further, we cannot go further. We are not scared to spend the money, and we are not scared to show the players we love them and we want them to earn big money.”"

Moreover, both Sanchez and Ozil have publicly stated that they are happy in North London, would like to stay in North London, if the right contract offer is on the table and assurances are made regarding both the future of Wenger and the ambition of the club, and have no intention of forcing a move away.

Wenger also used the word ‘convinced’. I previously criticised him for using such a strong, restricted, assertive word, arguing that he cannot be wholly certain given the lengthy, unsuccessful talks that have so far taken place. While I believe that still stands true, for Woods to now claim that Arsenal are ‘concerned’ completely contradicts the self-admitted ‘convinced’ Wenger.

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All of this culminates in an unsettled and uncomfortable feeling. Securing the futures of Sanchez and Ozil is of the utmost importance. However, I am simply not confident that that will happen. That does not mean that Arsenal are concerned or Wenger is convinced. It simply means that uncertainty is perhaps the prevalent feeling surrounding the futures of Sanchez and Ozil.

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