’18 Months Is Quite A Long Time’ – Arsene Wenger Discusses Mesut Ozil And Alexis Sanchez Contract Negotiations In Calm, Rational Manner

Chris Wright

8th, December 2016

ozil-sanchez-arsenal

With just a year-and-a-half left to run on their current Arsenal contracts, hysteria has set in about the immediate(ish) futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Rumour has it that the pair are looking for elite-tier wages (around £20million per annum/£300,000-a-week plus) to renew their deals at the Emirates, with Sanchez reportedly using a whopping offer of £400,000-a-week from a Chinese Super League team as leverage in negotiations.

With their two best players suddenly angling for the door, the Gunners are supposed to have been thrown into feverish, crisis-stricken panic mode.

Funny then, that Arsene Wenger managed to remain calm and rational while discussing the subject during the opening seconds of his Thursday press conference:

Eighteen months is quite long in football you know. They have 18 months contract and are completely committed and will do well as long as they are here.

Beyond that we will try to extend their contract. But I can’t make a subject of that in every press conference.

The less you talk about it the better it is.

It’s a repetition of the same things. You’re always asked the same things. But that doesn’t quicken negotiations, the decision process.

I’m not the only one who can decide. In this case it’s between two parties. On my side, the best position is to negotiate.

These players will stay for at least 18 months. Negotiations are private.

We don’t always need to explain.

Wenger was then asked to comment on reports of Sanchez receiving enormous offers from China, to which he responded:

I believe [the offer was made]. Yes, why not? But why should you go to China today when you play in England?

For the money, probably.