Wenger fires out Sanchez warning to Blues
MANAGER PRAISES SILVA’S PHYSICAL PRESENCE FOR CITY
ARSENE Wenger has challenged City to come up with an ‘incredible offer’ if they want Alexis Sanchez in January.
City came close to signing the player in the summer but a deadline day move broke down in farce with both clubs blaming the other.
The Chilean has underlined his importance to the Arsenal side in recent weeks, scoring in the North London derby win over Spurs before netting a last-minute penalty against Burnley.
With no expectation he will extend a contract that runs out at the end of the season, Sanchez could move in January should Arsenal wish to seek some money for one of their star men rather than see him leave on a free.
Wenger appeared to rule out that prospect but left the door open for the Blues to crash through it. Asked if Sanchez and Mesut Ozil would still be at the club after the winter transfer window, he replied: “Yes, of course.
“I rule it out. In my head, they are here until the end of the season. That was the decision at the start of the season. Unless something incredible happens, I don’t think that will change.
“For me, they stay until the end of the season. Will they stay longer? That is impossible to answer today.”
PEP Guardiola has revealed what he REALLY loves about David Silva … and you can bet it is not what City fans would place top of their list.
The 31-year-old is in talks about extending his contract beyond 2019 and as the Blues geared up to face Southampton tonight, Guardiola indicated it is vital that the club tie him up for reasons on the pitch, and off it.
And when the Catalan sang the praises of the man the fans have dubbed ‘Merlin,’ the first attribute he singled out was not what you would expect.
The supporters have grown to love Silva’s silky touch, those ballet-like turns that leave markers floundering, and the delicacy and destructiveness of his passing.
But when Guardiola addressed the issue, the first piece of praise that passed his lips was about his physicality – and the fact he had the nerve to leave his safety zone in Spain and test himself in the more hostile environment of English football.
“What I like the most about David, being a guy who’s a bit serious in his life, a little bit shy, is how competitive he is, and aggressive, in winning duels, when normally he is a guy more about technique, and the pass,” he said.
“I admire him a lot. He perfectly suits Spanish football, but here with the speed and the weather, the wind and the tough conditions, he has survived for a long time.
“Like Yaya Toure, like Joe Hart, like Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta was, and many other players, he’s a real legend for this club.
“What he’s done for the club will be written in the history books in the future. I hope he’ll continue for the next years.” Silva’s representatives are understood to have opened talks about extending his current deal, with Inter Milan and Liverpool heading up the clubs waiting to pounce if anything goes wrong. But Guardiola says that Silva’s worth, as the longest-serving player after Kompany, goes far beyond his brilliant contribution on the field. “The weak point in one club is always the manager because he depends on results,” said Guardiola. “But the players when they can continue at the club ... of course new players will come in 23, 24 years old and in the future he won’t be able to play every three days. “But he’s a guy who will play in the important stages and especially in the bad moments. “I put a lot of attention on how players react in bad moments, during the game and in bad situations.