Arsenal and Alexis Sanchez have been at loggerheads regarding the latter’s contract situation for a while now. The Chilean is reportedly demanding close to £250-000-a-week – almost double his current wage – to renew with the Emirates outfit and also wants the club to bring in reinforcements that will help them realistically challenge for the Premier League title.
The demands of the 28-year-old seem just when you look at it from a neutral perspective, given a player of the caliber of Sanchez needs to be playing for a team constantly challenging for top honours. However, it doesn’t quite add up from Arsenal’s perspective when you look at it and thus we look at the reasons why the Gunners should look to sell the Chilean in the summer.
Here are 5 reasons why Arsenal should sell Alexis Sanchez once the summer transfer window starts:
#1 To maintain squad harmony
It is well documented that an unhappy player could disrupt the harmony of the entire squad. Perhaps the Gunners’ poor form ever since Sanchez’s contract situation has been making the headlines could stem from this only but it is hard to tell until you have first hand information about the environment in the dressing room.
However, the Chilean’s petulant behaviour on the the pitch and sulking when substituted has reportedly angered his teammates and should the Gunners not allow his departure in the summer, it is only likely to get worse from here.
#2 To make a statement of intent
More often than not, the question of player power versus club power comes to the fore. A club can decide to shunt out a player who is not cordial or is disruptive to the team (circa Saido Berahino at West Brom) or the player can hardball the club into selling him to the team that he wants to join (a la Luka Modric or Cesc Fabregas).
While Saido Berahino is not of the caliber as the other three players, his was a case when the club decided to make an example out of the player by shunting him to the reserve team for months. In the case of Luka Modric’s transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid, the Croatian had refused to train with the White Hart Lane outfit and the Lilywhites had to adhere to his demands or risked unsettling the squad. The Gunners are no strangers to such situation with former superstar Cesc Fabregas having done the same to force a move to his childhood club Barcelona.
The North London outfit should sell Alexis Sanchez to the highest bidder, not to accept defeat in their fight against the Chilean but to establish order – that the club comes ahead of any individual, even a world class player like Sanchez. It will a big statement of intent by the Gunners that they will not be bullied into breaking their wage structure and pay astronomical fees just to keep a player happy.
#3 To sign a world-class player suitable to their style of play
It has been reported that Arsenal have put an asking price of £50 million for the services of Alexis Sanchez. Given the vast reserves of cash that the Gunners have at their disposal, they don’t necessarily need another £50 million or so to invest in the squad and make it competitive for top honours.
However, the North London outfit could use this money to sign a world class player in the same position or another, who is more suitable to their style of play.
For all the qualities that Sanchez possesses, he is not ideal for a team that likes to pass the ball on to the next teammate quickly, a problem he faced at Barcelona previously. The Chilean likes to keep hold of the ball and is thus disruptive to the flow of the Gunners’ game and hence to the overall effectiveness of the team’s plans.
#4 To give youngsters a chance to excel
Sanchez’s departure may well prove to be a blessing in disguise as it will provide the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Jeff-Reine Adelaide the platform to showcase the undeniable potential that they possess.
All three of the aforementioned players are very good dribblers and have the room to become one of the best players in the world, given their relative young age. The money that the club would recoup from Sanchez’s sale can be reinvested in other areas of the squad to sign high-quality reinforcements.
#5 Because of Alexis Sanchez’s inconsistency
Alexis Sanchez is currently enjoying his best ever top-flight season and is undeniably one of the most imposing and unstoppable footballers on his day. However, the Chilean has a propensity to go missing when the chips are down or against the big teams. When things are not going as per plan, the Chilean has a habit of going under the radar and sulking more than trying to make an impact on the game, he just gives up at times – not something you would expect of a player demanding £250-000-a-week.
Last season was also a reminder of the inconsistency in the game of the Chilean when he was anonymous for most parts of the season and could manage only 17 goals. In fact, that was not the first time this has happened to Sanchez, during his second season with Barcelona, the Chilean had managed to score only 11 goals in 46 appearances. After all, there is a reason why the Camp Nou outfit sanctioned the sale of El Nino Maravilla, and it was not all because of Neymar.
