Arsene Wenger cannot win as the chase for Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez heats up

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James Olley30 August 2017

Big Ben may have been silenced but Arsene Wenger can still hear the clock ­ticking in north London. Arsenal are facing a huge decision over Alexis Sanchez as Manchester City are expected to return with a second offer, having had a £50million bid turned down on Wednesday night.

The Arsenal manager faces the ­unenviable choice of external or ­internal unrest.

Sell Sanchez now and he risks the wrath of a divided fanbase already seething at the team’s underwhelming start to the season.

Keep him against his will and there is a chance a wantaway player could underperform, prompt dressing-room upheaval, damage morale and then leave on a free transfer.

It is not quite Sophie’s Choice, more Sanchez’s Choice for Wenger.

The Arsenal manager has been ­publicly adamant that Sanchez would not be sold, but the mere fact there is a dialogue between the two clubs is an admission that stance has reluctantly softened, at least to a degree.

There are conflicting stories ­emerging over who introduced Raheem Sterling as a possible makeweight. The suggestion was first mooted as one put forward by City, offsetting Arsenal’s potential anxiety about finding a replacement for Sanchez by incorporating one into a deal.

It later emerged from elsewhere that the Gunners were, in fact, the ones discussing whether Sterling - or even perhaps Sergio Aguero - could be included.

But the fact remains that, as of this morning, City have made one, straight cash offer for Sanchez, which was rejected by Arsenal last night.

An improved offer is expected and something approaching £70m would force Wenger to seriously consider ­cutting Sanchez loose. The 28-year-old Chile forward’s performance against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday showed he was ring-rusty on his first start of the season, but there was no hunger for the fight.

Players being caught smiling on the bench can often be taken out of context, but in the midst of a 4-0 drubbing, with supporters watching on in anguish, it was not difficult to conclude Sanchez’s mind is now elsewhere.

He was at the centre of a dressing-room bust-up towards the end of last season and, for all his undeniable quality and energy, Wenger will no doubt be considering the corrosive effect of keeping a player who has now made it clear he wants to leave.

However, Arsenal are in big danger of botching this transfer window in a truly remarkable way, even for them. There is still time to rescue the situation, especially given the presence of a host of active clubs in the market place heightens the probability of a late flurry of deals, but time is against them.

Losing Sanchez without finding a comparable replacement would render Arsenal weaker for the challenges that lie ahead, even though, numerically speaking, the Gunners have sufficient players to cope.

The Sterling camp claimed yesterday he would be open to a move away from City to wherever would ensure he has the greatest chance of first-team football, given this season ends with a World Cup.

However, that picture was clouded this morning amid reports claiming he will not be part of any deal that sees Sanchez move north; Pep Guardiola is unconvinced by Sterling but perhaps City are thinking twice about letting a 22-year-old with obvious potential leave in a player-plus-cash deal.

Just about every outcome remains possible and Wenger’s handling of the next 24 hours or so will go a long way to determining the mood when Arsenal reconvene at Emirates Stadium to face Bournemouth on September 9.

Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
Michael Regan/Getty Images

Sanchez’s reluctance to sign a new contract, despite being offered generous terms of £300,000-a-week plus image rights, is part of a wider malaise which has seen Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain run their deals down and a host of fringe players become disillusioned with a lack of individual and collective progress.

Wenger’s management is under severe scrutiny after just three games, a product of divided opinion over the board’s decision to hand him a two-year contract after finishing outside the Champions League places for the first time in 20 years.

Losing Sanchez so late in the summer would further undermine his position but keeping him is a multi-million pound gamble on Sanchez’s enduring professionalism. The fact Chile play Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier tomorrow only underlines the tight timeframe available in which to make such a tough decision.

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