Two stars best hope of success
ARSENAL kept Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to give themselves the “best possible chance” of winning something this year.
Ivan Gazidis insisted that if the Gunners were money motivated, they would have sold the star duo in summer.
Arsenal transferred Samir Nasri in 2011 and Robin van Persie in 2012 when both had just one year left on their deals.
But Sanchez and Ozil were retained in similar circumstances this year and are instead heading for free transfer departures at the end of the season.
Chief executive Gazidis said: “Probably the most vocal criticism we’ve ever had at an annual meeting was after we transferred Robin van Persie in the last year of his contract.
“That was one of the most difficult decisions we’ve ever had to make.
“We were told then that we were financially motivated and not focused on football. This summer, with stronger underlying financials, we’ve taken a different tack.
“The decisions on Alexis and Mesut Ozil are certainly not decisions that fit the narrative we put money first. But we have taken that approach to give the club the best possible chance to compete for trophies.
“It’s quite possible that in retrospect, people may say that some of the decisions we made his summer prove to be wrong or foolhardy.”
Gazidis also claimed they did not plan to offload Shkodran Mustafi just a year after his £35million arrival from Valencia.