ALEXIS NOT GUNNER GO
ALEXIS SANCHEZ is ready make his long-awaited return for Arsenal on Sunday – with Arsene Wenger confident it will be no farewell outing.
The Chilean contract rebel will be brought back into the Gunners fold against Liverpool after an abdominal muscle strain ruled him out of the opening two games.
Manchester City are desperate to prise the unsettled striker away from Arsenal, with a bumper £15m-a-year offer on the table.
Hard
But Wenger claims Sanchez is committed to the Arsenal cause and expects him to be at the Emirates after the transfer window shuts next Thursday.
“Sanchez has worked very hard to be back and he is available,” said the Arsenal boss.
“He looks ready. Overall he looks in good shape.
“He has always been focused on his job as he loves to play football. I don’t think he is too disturbed by all the noises.”
Arsenal are prepared to pay Sanchez, who is in the final year of his contract, £280,000 a week.
Wenger added: “The fact that he goes into the last ® year of his contract doesn’t mean we can’t extend it.
“At the moment we haven’t – we just want to focus as a team and not look too much at the contracts of everybody.”
But Wenger insisted Arsenal, who will learn who they face in the group stage of the Europa League, could cope without the superstar.
He said: “I have to deal many times with big departures but I always focus on the team.”
Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also entering the final year of his contract, with Chelsea keen on him.
But Wenger added: “I want him to stay. He is one of the players the team needs to be built around. I want him to commit to the club.”
Jack Wilshere, though, has it all to prove if he is to be offered an extension to his current deal, which also expires at the end of the season.
Wenger seems set to sanction another loan spell for Wilshere after he spent last season with Bournemouth. He said: “I’m open to what is the best for him. If he gets back to his best and wants to stay, we have to sit down later in the season.”