Arsenal Transfer News: Alexis Sanchez Rumours, Latest on Santi Cazorla
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has reportedly been encouraged to stall on contract negotiations with the club in order to pave the way for a £60 million move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
According to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, PSG's director of football, Patrick Kluivert, is a big admirer of the Chile international and those tied to the French champions have advised Sanchez to sit tight until the end of the season, when he will have one year left on his deal.
"The Gunners are prepared to pay Sanchez around £200,000 per week to stay, but the Chile international already has offers of double that amount to go to China," said Lewis, who also suggested PSG would be able to offer a bigger salary to the player than Arsenal. Chelsea are also said to be keeping an eye on the situation.
With little sign of an extension on the horizon, there is concern starting to grow in the minds of Arsenal supporters over Sanchez's status at the club. Per Squawka Football, he's been a huge asset in the final third this term:
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's squad is packed with classy manipulators of the ball who are ideal for the probing passing setup the manager preaches. But Sanchez's direct and relentless playing style offers a different type of attacking threat for defenders to deal with.
We've seen that in action this season, with the Chilean moved to the point of the attack. As the statistics above illustrate, the extra responsibility has emboldened him, although Sanchez's work rate, defensive appetite and intelligence has helped bring the best from others too.
As noted by sports journalist Liam Canning, Sanchez also has the kind of attitude that can be key to winning major honours:
The forward is a superstar, and as such, it's no shock that there are many links to elite clubs across the world. PSG, having lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic last summer, are lacking an attacking talisman and would inevitably benefit in their pursuit of domestic and European glory if they were to land Sanchez.
Santi Cazorla, Per Mertesacker Set for Extensions
As reported by Lewis in another Daily Mirror article, Wenger has revealed that Arsenal will look to extend the contracts of veterans Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker.
"We have an option on both of them, and I think we will take it," he said of the duo, whose deals run out in the summer. "The priority first is as football players but as well for their mental guidance. We need to have a balance between youth and experience, and they are important in that as well."
Both players are missing because of injuries, although Cazorla and Mertesacker have shown their worth many times in the past for the Gunners.
While Mertesacker's towering presence hasn't been missed too much this season—the German has been sidelined for the entire campaign—because of the summer signing of Shkodran Mustafi, Cazorla's midfield wizardry has proved to be irreplaceable.
Ed Aarons of the Guardian picked up on his missing influence in December, when Arsenal struggled in back-to-back away matches:
While the Spaniard isn't the quickest or the strongest, so often in that area of the field, he conducts Arsenal's play magnificently. However, given he's 32 and is picking up injuries with concerning regularity, it's difficult for Wenger to build this side with the Spaniard as a key man.
The same goes for Mertesacker following his recent woes. However, as Wenger suggested, they are both vital figures in the dressing room and, when fit, still possess the quality needed to have an impact on matches at the highest level.
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
