Mention Arsenal and the talk soon turns to contracts. The headline grabbers at the moment are Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil.
Curiously, the Chilean is provoking more concern among supporters than the German. While Team Alexis and the club maintain a wall of silence, the snippets of information which reach the public domain suggest that his is the easier of the two deals to renegotiate.
Recent reports suggested that Alexis received an offer from China proposing a weekly wage of $500k. It’s a staggering sum from a nation which has yet to qualify for a World Cup finals. The current spending causes consternation around the globe and with the country’s borders.
Publicly, the Chinese FA stated that plans would soon be in place to curb the excess wages on offer. If Alexis is to cash in on the situation, Elvis Presley’s sage advice of “it’s now or never” seems apposite.
Moving to the Orient seems unlikely. Sanchez has too many honours left to win and a move to China would signal the end of his international career. Having sealed his place in Chile’s history with back-to-back Copa America victories, a genuine tilt at the World Cup in Russia must be high on his list of priorities, as well as winning major trophies with his club.
Arsenal know they must dig deep into their resources to give him a comparable salary in England. As with any contract of this size, working out the most tax efficient way to pay the player is key. Given Alexis’ current tax woes with the Spanish authorities, the last thing he needs is the British taxman chasing after him as well.
Solutions are necessarily complex with a small army of accountants and lawyers working on them prior to the signing of a contract.
Özil’s situation is portrayed differently. The German recently spoke about his contract situation, cleverly moving the spotlight away from cash and onto issues perceived among the fanbase as more important.
An ambiguously worded statement made it clear that Özil wanted to know what was happening with Arsène Wenger’s contract before committing himself to the club. The five-times winner of the German national team’s Player of the Year award is entering the peak of his career; wasting them at a club in crisis or flux is not an option.
Very carefully, the statement did not explicitly state that he would not sign until Wenger did. Quite the opposite, in fact. He made it clear that if the Frenchman does leave, he wants to reassurance that the Arsenal directors and the club’s majority shareholder, Stan Kroenke, have a clear succession plan.
Replacing Wenger is a monumental task and one which has the potential to derail the club. Eyes look north to Manchester to see what has happened with United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. The disastrous reigns of David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal are being rectified, slowly but surely.
For Arsenal, the biggest lesson is surely that ‘Wenger-lite’ is not the route to follow. A pale imitation of the current manager will only bring a pale imitation of the current manager’s results and previous success. It’s crucial that Wenger’s stature is matched; replacing him is not the task for a relative unknown but a peer who has managed a big club themselves.
Özil signed from Real Madrid, knows all about managerial changes and the upheaval that can cause, is wise to exercise caution. Arsenal’s board has a history of reluctance to accept Wenger will retire at some point and frequently act like rabbits caught in headlights at that prospect.
Does this mean, though, that Arsenal can be sure Özil will renew? He claimed he wants to, that he’s aware the supporters want him to as well. It’s a good sign, but there’s a long way between that and putting pen to paper.
There’s little or no indication that the player and club have agreed on terms. Precious little has emerged about the financial demands which Arsenal have to meet to keep the World Cup winner in north London. It’s assumed he wants £250k per week, but with a wall of silence surrounding the talks, there’s no acknowledgement that this is the case.
Football fans love to create ridiculous scenarios but if Arsenal were only able to keep one of the players, which one would it be? Özil, the refined and immensely talented midfield magician is popular in the stands and social media fans. He drifts effortlessly in the attack, finding space and creating opportunities.
Sanchez though will be harder to replace. Goalscorers are in short supply and having stumbled into using the Chilean by accident; Arsenal are reaping the rewards of their goof fortune earlier in the season.
Having seen Gonzalo Higuain move for £70m last summer, Arsenal would expect similar if not more for Sanchez, especially given the Chilean’s international success. But replacing him? Who would want to be tasked with finding that player? Lewandowski? Aubameyang? There are few names, and Torino’s Andrea Belotti is the only young player mentioned in that company.
The Italian club claimed they rejected an Arsenal offer of £50m, swiftly refuted by Arsène Wenger as he waited for Olivier Giroud to sign his new deal. Are Arsenal contemplating the departure of Alexis? With the money bandied around for fees and wages, they may consider it foolish not to listen to offers.
If Alexis does leave, retaining Özil is imperative for the sanity of their supporters.
