Morning all.
Some good news following Arsene Wenger’s press conference yesterday and that’s about Santi Cazorla. Not only did his operation go well, but he will be given a new contract. Not sure about the other nine who could leave for free either this summer or the following one but at least the Spaniard looks set to stay.
The other nine are Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Per Mertesacker, Wojciech Szczesny, Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud and two others whose names I can’t think of right now. Seriously, if all of them stick their fingers up to a new contract, Arsenal are going to be in a pickle if they don’t have a plan. There’s a few in there that I wouldn’t be sorry to see leave though, that’s for sure and there’s one or two who aren’t listed above who really need to move on too.
Is Arsene concerned?
“There are six or seven cases at the moment, but that is the usual case — it is every year like that.
“We have started talking to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and we start as well, and will extend certainly, with Santi Cazorla.”
This situation makes good headlines for the tabloids, especially as the neighbours have been tying down their own players over the last few months, certainly the ones which seem to matter, although Hugo Lloris is yet to agree a new deal. It’s another stick to beat the manager up with for the media and they enjoy every last bit.
The big two are of course Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil and once a few of the above are sold either in January or in the summer, their saved wages might just be enough to meet the two players agents demands, or somewhere near.
Arsenal is a big club, Wenger said. It is not one or two players who will make the difference to the club. The importance is that we are today in a financial position that is strong, that was not the case before.
Yes, Arsenal will always be Arsenal, regardless of who comes and goes, but to lose two players of such quality would be a disaster imo. He says we are a big club which we are but big clubs pay big players, big money. And the whole idea of moving to The Emirates was to become a bigger club and certainly a more competitive one.
Both Ozil and Sanchez were winners with their previous clubs and respective countries and all footballers love that. So far, just the FA Cup has come their way in an Arsenal shirt but if we can have a good run in the Champions League and get that darn Premier League crown we’ve missed out on for so long, both might just be convinced that Arsenal is the best club to be at in England. Especially if Arsene Wenger builds on them by signing a top top striker.
One things for sure says Arsene and that’s neither will be sold in the summer:
“These players have 18 months left. They will stay for 18 months and hopefully much longer. These players will stay for at least 18 months. At some stage you will accept negotiations are private and secret. We’re professional and work until the last day of our contracts.”
It’s all frustrating for us the fans because we are so desperate to be told that both players have extended their current deals and not only those but a few of the others who are edging towards a potential exit as they are just as important.
And finally, what about Arsene Wenger himself? That’s a question which isn’t being put to him by the media because right now they have bigger fish to fry in Mesut and Alexis and they’re certainly not concerned about Mertesacker, Debuchy, Giroud or Szczesny.
Mind you, neither am I really.
I’m more concerned about Lee Mason officiating our match against Stoke City tomorrow….
Have a good Friday guys…
Good post, imo there is no way Arsenal is gonna let Ozil and Sanchez run down their contracts. If they haven’t signed by July..then I’d expect them to be sold..
If they are sold then imo it’ll just show Arsenal for what they really are.. money grabbing tight c**s. I can’t blame the players in this case. Yes it’s a phenomenal amount of money and players are greedy to, but they’re both world class and want the going rate which atm is around 200k-300k
My hope is that during the negotiations Wenger can except that a star player can earn more than him.
Thanks Kel, I can’t see them doing that either.
As Lee said earlier, get rid of a few who hardly play or are poor when they do and use their wages to top up bot Mesut and Alexis..
What irks me is the amount of money that has been wasted on the likes of bendtners, diabys, eboue, bischoff, Almunia, sanogoals, etc.. players we paid to much and couldn’t get rid of them.. Szczesny being the latest, we seem to have no problem paying average players to much.
Yes Rico I hope that mert, debuchy Szczesny wages can be redirected to players that are worthy of it..
If we can only keep one of them then for me it’s gotta be Alexis.
Ditto Kel. And even now contracts are dished out to average players yet we are supposed to be a ‘big’ club.. I know AW can’t always get it right in the transfer window but he takes far too long to offload those who aren’t good enough..
I like Walcott but there’s no way he should be one of our top earners…
I imagine there’s a lot of game playing going on with these contracts. Ozil and Alexis will, through their agents, understandably want to squeeze the club financially for as much as possible. But their commitment will be made in the head rather than in the pocket and Arsenal are a temporary employer for two lucky blokes who are good at football.
Very true…
Nice post Rico, we have a history of rewarding mediocre and shying away from class
Good post Rico.
The Ozil and Alexis contract discussions should really reflect on their ability to deliver the goods. They want a pay rise, each and not an inflationary one at that. It seems they want to double their money! A bit greedy in my view. I can’t think of many clubs around the world that could afford them, both! Yes, they are exceptional footballers, world class players and that should be reflected in their pockets but they have to assume responsibility for the achievements of the club. Presumably they want to win medals, lots of them. It’s up to them really, if they deliver the goods then they should reap the rewards, more cash and many medals! If they don’t then some of the blame lies with them, so whilst a pay rise may be appropriate it shouldn’t be anywhere near the kinds of the amounts that are presently being quoted in the gutter press.
Sure, old mr Wenger must make every attempt to keep them both. In 18 months time the pair of them will be closing in on their 30th birthdays. Their gravy train will be nearing the buffers, should they still be pulling that kind of money?
Pay them the cash and see what we get. If the club are winners, with great players then the attraction for new, great players increases and we’ll find ourselves at the top of the tree, again! Let the good players go because they just won’t stay as we are not a “winning” team, and we’re back to the same old underachievement, failure cycle. That would be a real bummer! So near yet so far!
You get what you pay for……..I find!
Thanks Marshall, Wavy.
If it were down to me, I’d them near to what they want but the trouble is, we don’t know what it is they want. Is it better players around them, more money, a different manager etc etc….
So true Rico. What do they want if they don’t want money, what do they want if they don’t want love?……………..and so on.
Perhaps they just want to be happy!
If the figures being spoken of are anywhere near close then it’s also yet another illustration of how disconnected the game has become from ordinary people’s lives.
Or perhaps they want Simeone Wavy… 😉
It’s ridiculous Adam, how can any human be worth as much as some of these players are earning….
I agree Rico. If they want to go and play somewhere else then there is little the club can do. I don’t see how it would help to keep them in some kind of desperate show of strength by Arsenal. Surely there must be some feel for the club and the fans involved? A million quid a month isn’t enough?
You’d like to think so Adam, after all, they keep going on about how wonderful the fans are….
But to be honest, how much of what the papers write is true? Most is rubbish I suspect…
I would estimate that 80% is pure fabrication, another 18.5% is also written with a personal agenda in mind and 1.5% is true. 🙂
That is, unless it comes from one of the new-wave of US-based Arsenal blogs, where it is all total cobblers written by 17 year old twerps.
🙂 Adam.
Morning Rico and all.
This is how I see it.
Well I hope the previous facts are wrong that Sanchez never stays longer than 3 years at a club and has never signed a second contract at a club. .It’s a real dilemma for the club. Say they offer him 250K a wek on a 3 year deal (which for all intensive purposes are going to be his last at the very top) that’s 39 million or do they let him go free in 18 months or sell him whilst the value is there,but who do you replace him with as in this inflated market the going rate for the very very few players like him must now be 80 million upwards.Why not sell Walcott and Ramsey or two other high earners to soften the blow but then if a deal is agreed Ozil and Kos especially will want a better deal.I hope we really do a deal as even winning the PL or CL this year wouldn’t change the situation in money terms.
For most of the last few years, we’ve all complained about the squad not being strong enough. That has scuppered many a promising campaign when injuries have derailed our hopes…
Now we havd a strong squad/bench and surprise surprise we’re competing, really competing.
So I wouldn’t have a clear out, because then we’re back to square one.
I would keep both Mertesaker and Giroud…
Szczesny has gone, Campbell pretty much the same, Debuchy is gonna leave and Sanogo can return to France and do whatever he likes…
Once you give Ozil and Sanchez a big rise, expect a queue of agents at Wengers door for a pay-rise, that’ll effect what we have to invest in the transfer market…
I agree with Lee, I’d go for Griezmann, but I don’t think he’d come.
Same with Lewandowski…
Gabriel is doing really well at full-back, that solves a problem if he can fill-in at both right and left-backs
Good post Rico
Afternoon All
Afternoon Kelsey and Kev..
I never knew that about Alexis staying only 3 years at any club. Perhaps he’s never been really happy before but at Arsenal he’s a star, as he is with Chile, but previously, maybe there’s been too many top stars in one side…
Good afternoon Mr Allezkev.
It’s a tough one on who to keep Kev. Both up front and in defence we have players coming through..
Giroud won’t settle for sitting on the bench much longer…
Good Afternoon Mr Adam ?
Injuries can make or break a career Rico (Bellerin)
You just don’t know what’s around the corner?
Imagine if we agree a new contract for Alexis and he picks up a long term injury…?!
Look at Theo, then RVP, Diaby, Debuchy, all good players, all had/have injury issues…
Maybe the club should offer Alexis and Ozil a decent increase, but link that to a success related bonus?
I say this with Ozil being one of man favorites ever, and I think Sanchez’s workrate is only second to A. Vidal in football. But at some point we have to stop to realistically/ logically evaluate the situation. I hate when people bring up winning trophies as though it not the players who play the games. When both Sanchez and Ozil often disaapper from big games it’s hard to win trophies. Giving a 30 year old 5 year contract at 250k+ is lunacy special the way Sanchez plays. His window is 3yrs tops. Ozil doesn’t track back now imagine him at 33. If they are each worth 250k plus. Then how much is Santi worth. We have a higher winning percentage with him than anyone.
The idea that higher wage players are WC players and win you championship is so overated, look at MU they have three 300k player. Look at the wage structure of Bayern and Dortmound and compared that to the top 6 in the EPL. But I bet Bayern beats any of those teams.
Kev. I would imagine that there is a degree of ego and prestige involved with these top players. Something linked to, but beyond, sheer amounts of money.
Yep, I agree with that Adam, not least the influence of their agents…
It’s always the same, the current stars of the team seem irreplaceable, that is until you replace them and then they’re quickly forgotten…
True mate. Football these days is often about change and how well a manager and club react. Most, but not all, players who leave Arsenal end up regretting it.
If football is a business first and foremost which it is, it should be run like a business.Players should get a basic depending on age,experience and talent and then a bonus based on the season’s final standing or/and trophies won.
Not have players on 100K upwards being bench warmers or those who have a long history of always having injuries should be discarded,Some may say brutal but that is what happens in business,but we are actually getting a reversal with us soon seeing say in the next 3 years a few players on one million pounds a week, agents just looking for a better deal all the time, it’s just not football as we knew..
2-10 Kev, spot on. Look at Coquelin now too….
Obi, a food for thought comment…
Night all…
Btw, lost in all this is that Arsene has confirm that he will be at Arsenal 18 months from now… which means he has signed a 2 or 3 year deal.
Has he Obi, when? I’ve not seen anything about him staying on, not even in the gutter press and they ‘know it all’!
Wavy, AW said that he will let both contracts run down in 18 months rather than sell Ozil or Sanchez. Which tacitly implies he will be there longer than his current deal.
Or maybe that’s when his time is up.
Didn’t take long for the ‘If Wenger stays Alexis will leave’ headlines to appear….
Morning all..
Morning guys.
Game day.
Another solid and comfortable win would be ideal.
Morning Rico and all. I saw that headline too. Seems far-fetched to me.
Stoke will be tough Scott..
Morning Adam, so ‘daily Star or Metro’ eh….
New post up now