Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Talks January Window, Latest Rumours

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the January transfer window should be scrapped, amid reports Manchester City are ready to return for Alexis Sanchez midway through the campaign.

City pushed hard to sign Sanchez before the summer deadline. Per Simon Mullock of the Daily Mirror, a £60 million fee was said to have been agreed in principle for the player between the two clubs, but the deal didn't go through.

According to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, City will make another play for Sanchez during the midseason transfer window. Wenger doesn't believe there should even be one. He told beIN Sports:

"What's happening now is that the transfer window is closed. The players who are tapped up in October, they already start to think: ‘Where do I go in January?' 

"That's not the way to be on board with the football club. We are here to entertain people. You can [only] do that with people who are on board together, with people who want to achieve something together.  Not with people who, when things don't go well, think: ‘Where can I go next?'"

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Wenger added that having one transfer window a year which closed before the first game of the Premier League season represented an "ideal situation."

According to Lewis, Sanchez "has already made it clear that he wants Champions League football" to Arsenal. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, he could move for a cut-price deal in January or on a free transfer next summer.

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol suggested City will make another move for Sanchez in January, though Arsenal will not be in receipt of an amount nearing the £60 million from this summer:

While activity in the January window is not as significant as the business done in the summer, it can be a chance for managers to refine and reassess what their squad needs. It's also a time when bargain deals can be done.

Indeed, some of the finest signings in the Premier League's history have been made in January. Manchester United have previously brought in the likes of Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic during the period, while Liverpool acquired Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho.

But Wenger's words will resonate with some managers. As journalist Nick Harris noted, players who will potentially be moving on halfway through or at the end of a season may not necessarily show full commitment to their current club:

The next transfer window will be an intriguing one, as a clutch of players keen to join a different club didn't get their wish in the summer.

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Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, Chelsea's Diego Costa and Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez also all stayed put despite speculation suggesting otherwise. 

Arsenal would surely be hesitant to let Sanchez leave this winter, though. Potentially, they'll be battling with City at the top of the Premier League table and allowing their best player to depart for the Etihad Stadium would not help their season.