There has been a lot of reactions concerning the contract issue of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez a Arsenal. The attacking pair contract expires at the end of next season and the club is trying to ensure that their star players remain at the club.
Arsenal lost key players to rival clubs in order to win major honours. Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Samir Nasri are clear examples while Cesc Fabregas snubbed Arsenal on his return to England and joined their London rival Chelsea instead.
Ozil and Sanchez are demanding for wages on the same level with Man United’s Paul Pogba who is earning £290,000 per week, a price Arsenal are finding it difficult to agree to.
It is obvious Arsenal are skeptical about losing the two bur they have refused to bend their strict wage structures to fulfil the terms of the players. It may be impossible for Arsenal to hold on to the two and if they should lose one of them, who really can they cope without, Ozil or Sanchez?
Ozil joined Arsenal in 2013 from Real Madrid while Sanchez arrived a season after from Barcelona. The Chilean forward has been directly involved in 73 goals either as the scorer or provider in the Premier League and the Champions League while his German counterpart has been involved in 50 goals, majorly as the creator. In terms of the percentage of their team’s goals, Sanchez has a higher proportion – scored or created 33.49% as compared to Ozil’s 22.71%.
Arsenal have won 58.33% of their league games with Ozil and 56.25% without him, and they have won 55.70% of their league game with Sanchez involved but surprisingly 63.63% without him.
This season, both have been instrumental to Arsenal success so far since his conversion to a central role, Sanchez has scored 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions while Ozil has also contributed nine goals this season.
Since August 2014, they have been responsible for most of Arsenal ‘s goals either as scorers or creators. Wenger will have to choose between getting a player to step into the shoes of Ozil and keep Sanchez or lose the versatility of Sanchez both on and off the ball and his motion in the final third, and keep Ozil
Sanchez has proved to be an incredible finisher and fighter, and can turn the game all by himself. By keeping him at the club Wenger could be confident that the Chilean forward would fit into whatever formation he changed to.