Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez can aid the post-Sanchez era

Jeremy Wilson of The Daily Telegraph has stated that Arsenal should sell Alexis Sanchez because it is time to focus on the post-Sanchez era. However, while a valid argument in theory, in keeping Sanchez, the post-Sanchez era can be bettered prepared for.

What to do with a problem like Alexis Sanchez? It is a question that is not easy to answer. As his contract winds down, so do the options. And the price. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are quickly running out of time.

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But Jeremy Wilson of The Daily Telegraph believes he has the solution. Here is how he concluded his piece on Sanchez:

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"“It all leaves Wenger with some difficult decisions ahead of the visit of Newcastle United on Saturday but surely some rather easier ones if the contract stalemates continue and, with City and Paris St-Germain still interested, sizeable offers emerge in January. This process really should have started last summer but, even allowing for the risk of some short-term pain, it is time for Arsenal to move beyond the Sánchez/Özil era.”"

In essence, I do not disagree with his thinking. It is indeed time for Arsenal to move beyond the Sanchez/Ozil era. The chance that either remains with the club is extremely slim and Wenger must evolve and adapt the squad in their absence. Obviously, time is a key component of that — adapting takes times and the more time that can be committed to the process, the smoother and more effective it will be. That, in a nutshell, is Wilson’s argument.

The issue, though, is a simple one: By keeping Sanchez, Arsenal give themselves a better chance of preparing for life without Sanchez, even if they limit the time they have to adapt.

Wilson asks the question of how worse off the Gunners would be if Alexis had departed and Wenger had relied upon on an amalgamation of Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere to replace him. He states that, collectively, Walcott and Giroud scored 35 goals last season, before going on to bemoan Sanchez’s impact this season giving no credence to his impact last season.

It is not logical to state that a player is not needed because of his teammates’ productivity from the previous year but ignore his own productivity from the previous year. And this is the crux of the issue. Arsenal are a better team with Sanchez, even if he is not performing at his invigorating, annoying best.

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And that, in turn, gives them a better chance of qualifying for the Champions League, which, then, gives them a better chance to find a more adequate, long-term replacement. By keeping Sanchez, the Gunners better prepare themselves for when they will not have Sanchez. That is why they must not sell him.