No Sanchez transfer request
SYDNEY. - Alexis Sanchez has not asked to leave Arsenal and is expected to remain at the club, according to manager Arsene Wenger.
Wenger has warned Manchester City off Sanchez and vowed that Olivier Giroud is going nowhere.
The Arsenal boss said at the end of last season that he would not let the Chilean playmaker, who is in the final year of his contract, go to a Premier League rival.
And, speaking after his squad arrived in Sydney yesterday for the first leg of their pre-season tour, he stuck to his guns and revealed that Sanchez may well sign a new deal with the club.
The Chile forward has less than 12 months remaining on his current contract with the Gunners and is yet to sign terms on a fresh deal.
Sky Sports News understands he is a transfer target for Manchester City and Bayern Munich, but Wenger says he wants to keep Sanchez and even suggested the 28-year-old could extend his contract before the start of the new season.
Wenger has ruled out Sanchez joining Manchester City and insisted Giroud is going nowhere.
Wenger issued a defiant message that Arsenal do not want to sell contract rebel Sanchez and especially not to a Premier League rival while also insisting he has not asked to leave and could yet sign a new deal.
Gunners boss Wenger also dashed Everton’s hopes of signing Giroud by claiming the France striker is committed to staying at Arsenal.
“The players have contracts and we expect them to respect their contracts. That’s what we want,” Wenger said after the squad’s arrival in Sydney yesterday.
When asked if Sanchez had informed him that he wanted to leave the club, Wenger said: “No”
“The pressure starts again at the first press conference,” he said when asked about Sanchez. “We’ll see. It is a continuation of what I said at the end of the season.
“I think the easiest way to manage a player is in the final year of his contract. It is in his interest to do as well as he can.
“Nobody knows today if Sanchez will be on his final year of his contract next season, because he can extend his contract with us at the start of the season or during the season.
“So it is not necessarily the last year of his contract at Arsenal Football Club.”
Sanchez enjoyed his most prolific scoring campaign for Arsenal last season, netting 30 goals in 51 appearances having been deployed in a central striking role.
When asked if he remained determined to keep Sanchez and not let him go to a Premier League rival, Wenger replied: “Yes, that is a continuation of what I said at the end of the season. That’s what we will do.
“He adds great value to the squad and I think as well he is a great lover of the club.”
Wenger has already offered Sanchez in excess of £275 000-a-week to stay while Giroud signed a new three year deal in January.
Wenger praised Giroud as a squad member and his attitude in the dressing room and backed him to fight for
his place despite Alexandre Lacazette’s arrival.
“We extended his (Giroud’s) contract last year,” said Wenger. “Our resolution is clear. He’s been great value to the squad and I think he is a great lover of the club. He’s always been very determined to stay.
“It’s always the same problem when you have one striker people ask ‘why don’t buy another?’ and when you have two or three they say they will be unhappy because there is too much competition. That’s part of the job.
“We are in a job where we are very lucky to do what we love but it is competitive job and that means the players have to accept competition and my decisions as well, unfortunately.”
Meanwhile, Wenger has confirmed Arsenal’s interest in Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar.
The Gunners have already had bids of £30 million and £40million rejected for the France international but are expected to make a third offer in the coming days.
Monaco reportedly value the 21-yearold at £80m and while Wenger has refused to elaborate on where Arsenal are at with their move, the 67-year-old admits he is open to more signings following the arrivals of Sead Kolasinac and Lacazette.
“He’s a player that we have looked at, but the rest is only speculation,” said Wenger.
“I am open to get some more signings, but it is not easy to find the players who can strengthen our squad, because we have top-quality players.
“There are two ways to improve always: analyse what we did well last season and what we did not so well and improve that, and then you can bring new players in.
“But at the moment, because we are in pre-season, it is very important for us to analyse well what happened last season and where we can improve.
“We have top quality in our squad, and at the moment I focus on that.”
Wenger also said Arsenal have rolled out the “red carpet” to try and sign Kylian Mbappe - but admits the Monaco superstar can have his pick of any club in the world.
Wenger made a concerted effort to sign the wonder-kid but knows realistically Arsenal’s chances of a mega deal have gone this summer.