As the latter stages of 2016-17 season approach, contract negotiations for two of Arsenal’s key players – Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have constituted an unwanted distraction for Arsenal alongside Arsene Wenger's future. Effectively out of the Champions League and the Premier League title race already, it is doubtful whether even another FA Cup win can save the season.
That is not to mention the genuine threat of missing out on top 4 – which would make Wenger's position untenable.
Months after negotiations started, there is no news coming out of either camp that suggests a final decision is close. With every passing day, a tense summer approaches, after all, elite players don’t enter the final 12 months of their contract with no guarantees about their future. It would be a heavy blow if Arsenal were to lose both of them - but what about one?
Though it may seem counter-intuitive, it makes logical sense for Arsenal to sell either Ozil or Sanchez – and here's why.
#1 It would show them who's the boss
When Alex Ferguson benched Rooney for a Champions League clash against Real Madrid in 2013, it was telling that not a single post match report criticised him for it. Fingers were rather pointed at Rooney and his falling out with his manager; Ferguson's tactics on the night received universal approval, and the press soon forgot all about Rooney, with Nani's harsh sending off taking its place as the biggest story for the night.
It served as an emphatic reminder from Ferguson – I am the boss.
Allowing two sagas to simultaneously rumble on, therefore, considerably weakens Arsenal's hand. The club needs to hold its ground and stand firm. No player is bigger than the club – and when two players threaten to be, it is time to act.
#2 The other can be given an astronomical salary within Arsenal's wage structure
If rumours are to be believed, the star duo has wage demands in the region of £200,000 per week. Mesut Ozil is currently Arsenal's top earner with wages of £140,000 per week with Sanchez close behind at £130,000 per week.
Football has seen astronomical salaries and players of the class of Ozil and Sanchez undoubtedly deserve such wages in the contemporary football market.
Therefore, Arsenal should ensure one of them is given the contract they deserve, perhaps even at the expense of the other; if that's what it takes to retain one's services while operating within Arsenal's established wage structure.
#3 Need to sign a top quality striker
The signings of Ozil, Sanchez, Cech, Mustafi and Xhaka in recent years has not addressed the kind of player that Arsenal need. In every single one of these transfer windows, Arsenal's pressing requirement was a top quality striker and it still is. The club have pursued strikers, but not many elite ones come by for 40 million and one pound.
With the transfer kitty bagged from the sale of either Ozil or Sanchez, Arsenal can go all out for the cream of the crop – the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang, Robert Lewandowski or even an ambitious attempt for Antoine Griezmann.
So long as Arsenal learns from the mistakes of Liverpool and Spurs in reinvesting from the sale of a star player, the club should be in safe hands.
#4 Will allow a new manager to build his own team
Arsene Wenger has fielded more questions than ever regarding his future this time around. With a reported two-year contract on the table, it has come down to Wenger's decision whether to accept the offer or not.
But Bayern Munich's 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal felt like a watershed moment; however, the rest of Arsenal's season pans out, it has ensured there will be a dissenting camp if Wenger decides to stay.
With the likelihood of a new manager being appointed greater than ever and names like Massimiliano Allegri and Thomas Tuchel in the mix, it makes sense to provide a substantial transfer kitty for the new manager. Letting one of the two go would free up a lot of funds in terms of transfer budget and wage allocation – and the incoming manager will get an opportunity to shape the squad in his image.
#5 Similar players to play in the system are there at Arsenal
If the record of the last few seasons is anything to go by, there is only one player in Arsenal’s midfield that really merits the ‘indispensable’ status – and that is Santi Cazorla. Ever since being moved to the base of midfield, the Spaniard has struck gold, and impressed in both high profile as well as low profile matches.
Ozil, on the other hand, has gone missing on several occasions in big matches – not many instances come to mind when Ozil has single-handedly pulled Arsenal up by the scruff of the neck in the manner of Alexis Sanchez.
Wenger, therefore, should be more concerned about the long-term injury of Cazorla – and whether it is necessary to search for a replacement like Marco Verratti. Though not quite at Ozil’s level, Wenger’s squad is brimming with players ready to take on the mantle of number 10. Yet, with the questionable success of Granit Xhaka signing, Wenger has a profound hole to fill deeper in his midfield.
