By Egbe Emmanuel Egbala
Arsenal have a lot of work to do this summer, and sorting out the
future of Alexis Sanchez is one of the club's most important jobs.
Thus
far the Chilean has rebuffed all offers of a new deal, and is heading
into the final 12 months of his contract. History tells us that if an
agreement can't be reached, Arsenal will sell. People point to the sales
of Robin van Persie to Manchester United and Samir Nasri to Manchester
City as evidence of this.
It is worth pointing out, however, that
those departures took place five and six years ago, respectively.
Moreover, in both instances the players more or less made their
positions at the club untenable: The Dutchman made risible, patronising statement to fans, while Nasri's devious behind-the-scenes behaviour included an attempted move to Alex Ferguson's side before he ultimately joined their city rivals.
There's
no evidence that Sanchez is willing to employ this tactic, and
Arsenal's financial situation has changed considerably since Nasri's
departure. In 2011, the Gunners were still three years away from new
sponsorships and commercial deals, and while their £42.5m capture of
Mesut Ozil in 2013 made the £20m they received for Van Persie a year
earlier a little harder to swallow, there's no doubt they can take a
financial hit for sporting benefit.
And let's be realistic: If a
reportedly confident City side is willing to extend Sanchez a £50m
offer, it would deal Arsenal's coffers a massive blow -- especially if
he were to walk away on a free transfer next season.
While we
remain in the realm of sanity, however, selling your best player -- and
probably the best player in the Premier League last season -- to a rival
club is a very, very bad idea. Yes, you strengthen them and weaken
yourself, but the ramifications of such a decision go way beyond what
takes place on the pitch.
Fans, who have not been reticent in
expressing their unhappiness in recent times, would view Sanchez's
departure as something approaching the final straw in their relationship
with the club. An owner, manager and chief executive who have already
undergone public criticism for past decisions and performance simply
cannot afford to incite that degree of backlash.
Arsenal's hugely
enjoyable FA Cup win in May provided some mortar with which to fill in
the cracks, but selling Sanchez would open up a fissure like never
before. It would create a Grand Canyon between fans and the club, and no
amount of spending could fill it.
After finishing fifth in the
Premier League, Arsenal's goal should be to return to the Champions
League and challenge for the title. In order to accomplish that goal,
you don't sell your best player to anyone -- least of all to a team in
the same division.
Arsenal
need to show some backbone this summer and prioritise sporting matters
over financial ones. Sanchez has 12 months left on his deal -- a
contract he willingly signed. If he won't agree to sign a new one, they
should keep him and let him go on a free transfer next summer.
While
Sanchez's high bargaining power in this scenario raises serious
questions about the club's management, his presence on the pitch next
season is worth more to Arsenal than £50m in the bank now. There is also
skepticism surrounding the club's efficiency in the transfer market,
and there are few players who can replicate the Chilean's varied talents
on the pitch.
It's
also entirely possible that if Arsenal become a truly competitive force
again, the club could strike a long-term deal with Sanchez and persuade
him to stay. Given his options outside of England are dwindling (Bayern
Munich have distanced themselves from a move), the strong negotiating
position he has at this moment might weaken.
At 28, Sanchez's next
contract is likely to be his last big one, so it's understandable that
this game of brinkmanship is being played. A solution might be a 2-year
extension, perhaps with a clause that allows him to leave in the same
way Luis Suarez did for Barcelona. As it stands, however, there's simply
no way Arsenal can sanction a deal that would land Sanchez at City.
If they have any sense or ambition, the club will keep him at the Emirates for at least one more season.
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