Arsenal: Two huge contract standoffs loom

Arsenal vowed that contract stand-offs with star players were a thing of the past. Unfortunately, another two are possibly on the way, and their impact could be devastating.

Dwindling contracts and the subsequent negotiations have caused Arsenal supporters frustration and heartache in recent years. When the new management structure of the club was unveiled, Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham suggested that they were a thing of the past. But that is seemingly not the case.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The Unai Emery One

In recent years, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the first to exercise his authority. An extension was widely expected before Chamberlain suddenly notified the club, much to Arsène Wenger’s fury, that he would not sign a lucrative new deal. The Gunners cashed in on the wantaway midfielder, accepting a £35m offer from Liverpool. But the warning signs were there.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Everyone remembers the frenzy surrounding the futures of Mesut Özil and Alexis Sánchez during the first part of the 2017/18 season. They were Arsenal’s best and most influential players. The forthcoming storyline certainly compares.

Although chaos ensued towards the end of the summer window, January 2018 is when activity intensified. Sánchez seemed destined to become a Manchester City player, but Manchester United had other ideas. Unafraid of the Chilean’s huge salary demands, United offered an asset surplus to their requirements — Henrikh Mkhitaryan — and the worst swap deal in Premier League history was completed. Meanwhile, Özil signed a mouthwatering long-term contract, exploiting his sizable power at the negotiating table. That contract has been the subject of huge controversy ever since.

The powers that be then decided against offering Aaron Ramsey fresh terms, citing the fact that his salary demands would have wrecked the balance of the wage bill and caused long-term harm to the club. Major players leaving without any numerical return, all because of the mismanagement of their contracts.

Now fast forward to the present day, one in which these contract-related calamities were meant to have ended. Arsenal are facing yet another pressing issue: the concluding contracts of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Aubameyang’s contract expires in the summer of 2021 and Lacazette’s in the summer of 2022. That may seem like a long way away, but it was hesitation in this timeframe that cost the Gunners in the past.

Aubameyang and Lacazette have carried a mostly meek, lacklustre, sluggish, dull, and aimless team in recent months. Neither would be short of suitors. Aubameyang was recently shortlisted for the 2019 Ballon d’Or and Lacazette remains one of the most underrated strikers in Europe. Arsenal would demand a premium for both men.

The club have likely tried to engage the players in negotiations for a while, but the strikers have the power. Seeing as they have been so integral to Arsenal’s recent ‘success’, they will be the ones setting the dates and the terms and are undoubtedly stalling to see whether Champions League football will be on the agenda at the Emirates next season. Clarity on the situation may not be available until season’s end, but things could come to a head well before then.

Failure in their pursuit of Champions League football would be a major setback in the club’s attempted resurrection. And amidst all of that, the forthcoming standoffs with Aubameyang and Lacazette will be vital. I guess nothing has changed after all.