Arsenal Transfer News: Major Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud Exit Rumours

Alexis Sanchez could reportedly be in line to leave Arsenal this summer, with Juventus and Atletico Madrid linked with a move for the Chilean.

According to Steve Stammers of the Sunday Mirror, the Bianconeri are keen to bring Sanchez back to Serie A, where he excelled with Udinese before departing for Barcelona. “And they would match the fee Arsenal paid to Barcelona to get their man,” continued the piece.

Atletico are also noted as potential suitors, although it’s claimed that manager Arsene Wenger is keen to tie the forward down to a new deal. That’s understandable, as there are few players in the game as multifaceted as Sanchez in attacking areas.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

The 27-year-old not only poses a major threat in the final third to opposition defenders with his ingenuity on the ball, but he’s insatiable in his desire to win possession back. His work rate is astounding and it rubs off on his team-mates.

As we can see courtesy of OptaJoe, after a difficult spell of games, Sanchez is a player who is coming back into some form:

For Arsenal, losing him would be a major blow. The Gunners have long been accused of possessing a soft centre, but Sanchez is a footballer who goes against that notion. Not only is he a hard worker, a regular scorer and a big-game player, he’s a proven winner, having lifted trophies with Arsenal, Barcelona and the national side. 

In isolation, his raw talent would be difficult to replace in the XI, but those intangible assets are very tough to come by. If the club decide to cash in, you suspect Juve and Atletico would have to stump up a lot more than the £35 million Arsenal parted with to get him to the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2014.

Juventus Want Olivier Giroud

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Tuttosport (h/t Aaron Flanagan of the Sunday Mirror) has claimed Italian champions Juventus are hoping to land Olivier Giroud this summer.

It’s suggested that the Bianconeri are on the hunt for a striker in the summer, with Giroud listed alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani as a possible target. Stammers wrote that the French international forward is likely to cost between £20 million and £25 million.

Of course, if Sanchez was to go at the end of the season then selling Giroud would be an unfathomable proposition for Arsenal. But the chance to get the kind of money mentioned for a player who is 29 years old would surely be appealing.

As we can see courtesy of Squawka Football, Giroud has been one of the most consistent goalscorers in the top flight for a while now:

He’s a player who has long sparked debate among Arsenal fans. While his touch, aerial strength and ability to bring others in to play has proven to be very useful for the team down the years, Giroud lacks the explosiveness we so often see from the top strikers in the world.

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His lack of pace means he’s unable to offer an outlet over the top. Indeed, Arsenal have actually looked a lot more threatening with Danny Welbeck up front lately, per STATS Football:

"

Danny Welbeck has more goals (4) since his return than any other Arsenal player in that span (all comps).

— STATS Football (@STATS_Football) March 19, 2016"

Still, it’s useful to have different types of forwards at the club and Giroud has proven on many occasions that he’s a classy operator. He may not be good enough to propel this Arsenal outfit to the Premier League or the Champions League, but in certain scenarios and against different opponents, he can be a key man.

Juventus have a lot of strikers on their books currently, and in Mario Mandzukic a forward who is stylistically similar to Giroud in a lot of areas. If he was to be lured to Turin, then the Bianconeri would surely have to move either Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala, Alvaro Morata or Simone Zaza on.