As has been well documented over the past month or so, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil’s current contracts at Arsenal are running down and set to expire at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
Negotiations concerning new deals are still ongoing, which has fuelled lots of speculation surrounding both players. Will an agreement be reached, and what would be losing the top-class duo mean to the Gunners on the pitch and in terms of their ambition as a club?
Alexis, in particular, has generated plenty of transfer rumours, and in a recent interview, he decided to set the record straight on a few things by commenting on how he is currently feeling about life at Arsenal.
SANCHEZ AT ARSENAL
The Chilean superstar moved to the Emirates Stadium from Barcelona in 2014 for a reported £31.7 million, which means he is the club’s third most expensive signing of all-time, only behind summer signing Granit Xhaka and German playmaker Ozil.
In that time, Sanchez has scored an impressive 56 goals in 117 games but he’s also lit up English football with his movement, technical quality, passing and dribbling skills and his incredible work-rate off the ball.
This season, manager Arsene Wenger moved him into a central striking role and, heading into the Premier League weekend, Chelsea’s Diego Costa is the only player who has scored more league goals than him this term.
ALEXIS ON LIFE AT ARSENAL
In an attempt to end all the talk regarding his long-term future, Alexis told Arsenal Player that he is really happy with life at Arsenal, he is settled and he is relishing being one of the biggest stars at the club.
“I definitely feel like an important player and my teammates let me know every day,” the 28-year-old said, via Goal. “I try to prove that I am an important player every day and game after game. I believe we have the players and the quality to win many things.”
The Chile international added: “I feel really happy and comfortable at the club. I want to give the fans a new title. We always get our fans’ support in the thin and the thick, which is great. We must win the Premier League or the Champions League for them.”
So, Sanchez is clearly setting his sights extremely high, but his aims of achieving success both domestically and in Europe may not come to fruition this year.
Although Arsenal are in fourth place, they’ve slipped nine points behind leaders Chelsea and will take on German champions Bayern Munich yet again when the Champions League resumes in February.
That said, it will undoubtedly please Gunners supporters to hear Alexis’ reassuring words, as they certainly suggest that an agreement to extend his contract will happen sooner rather than later.