Wenger in tap-up dig at Liverpool

OXLADE EXIT UPSETS BOSS

ARSENE Wenger has questioned whether Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was tapped up by Liverpool. The Arsenal boss said yesterday it would be naive to think his players are not being tapped up before matches, and is unsure whether they were on the day of their 4-0 loss to Liverpool last month.

Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Sanchez played at Anfield and the former then signed for Liverpool in a £35million move. Sanchez missed out on his £60m move to Manchester City and is now back at Arsenal following the international break.

‘You are not naive enough to think that will not happen,’ Wenger said. ‘I don’t know (if it happened before the loss to Liverpool). I don’t know. Have they been tapped up? Of course. But on the day of a game? I don’t think so, I hope not. But it’s inevitable.

‘France played against Holland on the last day of the transfer window. Do you really think not one French or Dutch player had calls in the afternoon about a move? I am not naive enough to believe that.’

Wenger is hoping Sanchez has a change of heart and stays next summer on renewed terms. ‘There is a chance, yes,’ he said.

As it stands, the London club are in line to lose Sanchez and Mesut Ozil for nothing next summer.

Ozil has come in for criticism from Arsenal legends, such as Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Petit. It prompted the German player to post on social media in retaliation, telling them to shut up and start supporting the club instead.

Wenger hit back at the Arsenal greats too, saying: ‘I always have problems understanding what a legend is and what a legend isn’t. They had their weaknesses as well. Nobody was perfect.’

Meanwhile, Santi Cazorla tried running yesterday for the first time in almost a year. The midfielder, recovering from an achilles injury, hopes to be back by Christmas.