Arsenal: £30 million for Alexis Sanchez not worth the consequence

Reports are surfacing suggesting that Arsenal would be happy to sell Alexis Sanchez for £30 million. But any exit is not worth the consequences of his departure. They have committed to the keeping of Sanchez. They can’t back out now.

The Alexis Sanchez controversy will run and run all season long.

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In perfect symmetry to Mesut Ozil, Sanchez is also in his final year of his contract, and is, seemingly, nearing an Arsenal exit, whether it be in the January transfer window, as the Gunners look to claw back the last scrapings of value they can, or in the summer, when Sanchez will have his pick of any club in the world. Neither is especially encouraging.

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That decision was made by Arsene Wenger in the summer. As the transfer window drew to a close Manchester City made a last-ditch attempt to prise the Chilean away from North London. A £60 million offer was accepted, in principle, with Arsenal adding the caveat that a replacement needed to be sounded and secured. That player was Thomas Lemar. But within 30 minutes of City’s offer being accepted, the plug on the deal was pulled amid concerns that the deadline would scupper any move for Lemar.

That may be a decision that Arsenal come to regret. They missed the opportunity to replace Sanchez with a younger alternative in the summer, while still recouping some semblance of value. That ship, like it or not has sailed. Backing out of that decision halfway through the year would be far from a wise move.

The reason being is a simple one: Finding a replacement for Sanchez in the January transfer window is extremely difficult. Clubs do not like to sell their best players in the winter because they are halfway through a season, their squads are settled, and they are relying on their production in the second half of the year. They are the type of players that Arsenal would be pursuing if they needed to find a Sanchez replacement.

Additionally, they do not have the talent already in the squad to absorb the departure of a player of Sanchez’s quality and influence. There are few players who can replicate the threat that Sanchez consistently poses. Arsenal cannot simply turn to their depth in the hope that they can match that.

So reports suggesting that the Gunners would be willing negotiate with Manchester City over a possible £30 million deal for Sanchez are a little concerning. The money is negligible. They produce a turnover far greater than the £30 million than they would receive for Sanchez. The significance is if, and who, they could get as a replacement, irrespective of the price they sell for.

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And that is a question that is difficult to answer positively. Their notorious hesitance and incompetence in the transfer window only leads me to think that, in a window where finding top quality is difficult enough anyway, they would be unable to find a suitable alternative to Sanchez. They have committed to keeping him. They must now see it through.