Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil Contract Talks Halted at Arsenal, Says Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed during a recent interview with beIN Sports that the club has ended contract talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil temporarily.

According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, the Gunners chief is keen for the team to focus on finishing in the top four in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup, a competition in which they've progressed to the semi-final.

"At the moment we haven't got an agreement," Wenger told beIN Sports of the negotiations regarding the pair (h/t Mattias Karen of ESPN FC). "We have decided to focus on the end of the season. ... Once you don't find an agreement and that lasts it's not good, so it's better you sit down during the summer."

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Sanchez and Ozil's deals are set to expire at the end of the 2017-18 season, prompting plenty of speculation that they could be on their way out of the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

Cross noted that Sanchez is attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain and is "determined to quit" Arsenal. Cross also reported Arsenal has offered Ozil a deal worth £280,000 per week, although he has yet to commit either way.

According to Cross, Arsenal are planning for life without Ozil and Sanchez already, with Wenger targeting forwards like Monaco star Kylian Mbappe and Lyon man Alexandre Lacazette.

Football 365's Daniel Storey is unsure whether a full revamp of the club's attack would be the smartest piece of transfer business, though:

Underpinning the uncertainty over the two star men is an uncertainty about Wenger's own position, with his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign. When asked about his future, the veteran coach was giving little away.

"No matter how long I stay, I will be committed and completely focused. How long I stay doesn't really matter because as long as I'm there, I'm completely focused on achieving the best with the club," he told beIN Sports. "At the moment, we are going through a difficult period on the results, so I think it's much more important to focus on getting it right again."

Getting the star men playing regularly and playing well will be important to the team making progress on the pitch. 

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Ozil has been absent with a string of fitness issues recently, with the club stating he missed the 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion with a hamstring problem. Although Sanchez scored in that game, he has cut a frustrated figure at times in recent weeks.

Nevertheless, as these numbers from OptaJoe illustrate, he's the most potent player the club has in the final third:

Arsenal supporters would have had hope that their star men would agree to new deals at the start of the campaign, but the situation is looking bleak.

Not only is Wenger's position unclear, but the team continue to make familiar mistakes and look a long way off challenging for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles. Arsenal will surely look to convince them both to stick around at the end of the season, but at this juncture, it'd be a big surprise if Ozil and Sanchez were wearing Arsenal colours next term.