WHY WOULD ANY PLAYER WANT TO LEAVE ARSENAL?
Wenger’s verdict as Sanchez says farewell to team-mates
FOR once Arsene Wenger was prepared to provide an insight into Arsenal’s inner sanctum.
It’s something Wenger doesn’t like discussing in public. What happens in camp, stays in camp.
This time, however, he was forthright: ‘If it was in the papers, he must have said goodbye to some people,’ Wenger said.
He was referring to Sportsmail’s exclusive story on Saturday morning that Alexis Sanchez had bid farewell to his team-mates at the hotel on Friday night after a breakthrough in talks for him to move to Manchester United in a deal that will see Henrikh Mkhitaryan head in the opposite direction.
Remarkably, Wenger had considered naming Sanchez on the bench against Crystal Palace; incredible given any injury would surely have ended the transfer.
After Danny Welbeck picked up a groin injury, Wenger asked Sanchez to report to the team hotel in Canary Wharf. He duly did, but at 10pm on Friday, his Arsenal career was over after being informed by Wenger that he could leave to complete his move.
Wenger and Sanchez shared a moment, shook hands before wishing each other good luck.
‘Was I tempted to select him? Yes,’ said Wenger. ‘Why didn’t I? It’s hard to play when you are driving north! The advancement of both sides of negotiations [changed things]. I said goodbye to him because I went to tell him he could go home.’
Sanchez then sought out his team-mates to say goodbye. Truth be told, many of them couldn’t wait to see the back of him. This was almost a cathartic process for Wenger who, for a year, has played a straight bat over Sanchez.
Wenger no longer needs to be guarded. ‘I cannot understand anybody wanting to leave Arsenal,’ he said. ‘But in 30 years of doing transfers, you learn a lot about human beings. As a professional, it was perhaps his last contract at the top level.
‘I have no regrets about not selling him in the summer. We did what we tried to do and went as far as we could. Even Manchester City moved out of it in the end. That tells you we had no chance to give him a contract.’
Sanchez’s departure is certain to improve harmony within the squad. Sportsmail has highlighted the problems between Sanchez and his team-mates in recent months.
Players were sick of his tantrums, his attitude — the fact he continually gave the ball away because he tried to win matches on his own.
His effort in training and matches plummeted. The backroom team lost patience with Sanchez a long time ago. Wenger, eventually, did too.
‘The uncertainty [over Sanchez’s future] has destabilised the team,’ revealed Wenger.
‘There are periods when the atmosphere is less enjoyable than others. It is not losing players, it is the fact you have uncertainty in the group — they don’t know if he will be here or not. Once it is clear, the team get used to it.’
Mkhitaryan will be confirmed as Sanchez’s replacement in the next 48 hours. Wenger was interested in the Armenian before he joined United in 2016.
But with playmaker Mesut Ozil already at the club, how does Mkhitaryan fit in? ‘How do I fit them in? I just play the good players. They can always play together,’ added Wenger.
A beaten Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, confirmed Palace will sign Jaroslaw Jach and Erdal Rakip.
Jach is a centre back who has two caps for Poland. Rakip is a central midfielder with nine Sweden Under 21 caps.
‘ Both of these players, they’re not the type of players that are going to set Sky (Sports) News alight, because they don’t cost those sums of money, but what they will do is give us important cover in positions we need it,’ said Hodgson.