Waiting for your key players to sign new deals can be a frustrating experience.
For all the anxiety the fans feel, it’s intensified for the manager, who often knows that his job could depend on whether they put pen-to-paper on a contract.
But so often, in an age where players know what they are worth, these talks can take a long time, and nobody knows this better than Arsene Wenger right now.
The Gunners are currently trying to hammer out new deals for influential playmakers Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, and Wenger has told the pair via the Daily Mail that money should not be the overriding factor in their decision-making process.
Sanchez, 27, is presently on £130,000-per-week, and is hoping to see his weekly salary rise to a whopping £200,000-per-week.
Mesut Ozil is reported to be close to agreeing fresh terms to extend his stay, but the manager has given a stark warning to his stars looking to pocket a significant amount of extra cash.
“Because the players, wherever they play, make good money at this level,” he said.
“I believe, personally — maybe I am a bit naive — that it’s more about getting to meet the player’s needs. The way the club has values, the way the club has ambition, the way the club respects the players.
“For me, that is more important nowadays and an important ingredient for every player to consider. The money is good everywhere.”
Arsenal have travelled to Switzerland for Tuesday’s Champions League encounter with FC Basel, having initially debated whether to leave the Chilean back in London.
The Gunners have already qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament, but need an unlikely victory for Ludogorets to help them finish above Paris Saint-Germain.
However, stranger things have happened and a significant goal difference at St Jakob-Park will only aid their cause.
And Sanchez will be key to that. Since moving into the middle he hasn’t been able to stop scoring, with five coming in his last two games, taking him to 13 for the season so far.
Wenger is taking the same squad that he used at the weekend, and is quite clearly taking the game seriously despite their position unlikely to change.