Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez Champions League verdict means diddly squat

Arsenal superstar Alexis Sanchez told reporters that he wants to play in the Champions League and everyone is losing their minds.

Alexis Sanchez is unintentionally sending Arsenal fans on one hell of a roller coaster. I’m sure there is a good deal of thought on his part over the pros and cons of leaving the club, but the media is the primary instigator of this nauseating thrill ride.

Which isn’t entirely surprising.

Going back to about January, there has been rampant speculation over the Chilean’s future with nothing really concrete being said. There is clearly some stress oozing through the Chilean when he talks about his future, but for the reports to state every three days that he has agreed on a move elsewhere is blatantly irresponsible.

Take for instance Alexis’s recent statements. In these statements, Alexis said outright “I want to play in the Champions League.” And sure, he went on to say he is awaiting Arsenal’s reply, but what exactly he sent to them is far from set in stone.

If you want to counter that and say that the only reply he could possibly be waiting for is a move to Manchester City, I’ll come right back and say it might be a contract offer where, perhaps, as soon as Arsenal miss the Champions League again (which won’t happen), then he will leave. Or maybe there will be a release clause.

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Yet if you look at the headlines, you will see what you have been seeing all summer. “Alexis tells the club he wants to leave.”

No, he didn’t. He said what every other player in the history of the world would say when asked if he wants to play in the Champions League.

These reports say outright that Alexis said he wants out of the Emirates. Which he absolutely did not say. Again, read into it all you want, but he did not say that, nor has he ever. He can hint all he wants, but there is just as high a likelihood that he wants a mega contract with certain releases as there is that he wants out.

How do I reckon? Because saying that you want to win the Champions League doesn’t mean that he has to win it tomorrow. He has time to give and missing one year of opportunity doesn’t mean the end of the world, even for someone as ambitious as him.

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Not just that, but Arsene Wenger remains convinced that talks are getting more and more positive. And sure, he has blown smoke about this kind of thing before, but there is nothing to gain by taking it a step further and saying that talks are getting better.

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