Arsene Wenger On Keeping Ozil & Alexis: We Had To Ignore The Financial Loss

Arsene Wenger provides an update on Ozil and Alexis contract talks…

Arsene Wenger claimed that the decision to keep Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil despite the pair having less than 12 months to run on their contracts was “easy” on a football front.

The pair have so far refused to extend their deals beyond next summer, although it seems all parties are still at the negotiating table with the Daily Mail reporting that our latest offer to Alexis exceeds £300,000 per week.

Ozil started our opening day win against Leicester City on Friday night, with Alexis missing out due to an abdominal problem though he was present in the stands.

Wenger has remained adamant throughout the summer that both players wouldn’t be sold, a decision he feels has been made easy by that fact that neither player is agitating to leave the club.

However, the boss admitted that the club had to ignore the evident financial loss which could become a reality.

“It’s difficult because you have to ignore completely the financial factor,” Wenger told NBC Sports.

“On the football front the decision is easy because you want the best players to stay at your club, the hope I have as well is that they weaken a little bit and they extend their contract.

“They are happy here, it’s more that the discussions we have opened couldn’t be concluded, but there’s no bad feeling.

“The players love to be here, they show that, you saw Ozil – he tried until the last minute tonight.”

We’ve long called on the club to football ahead of finances, and that exactly what they’ve done on this occasion. Also, we’re currently outside the all-important Champions League and if we’re to return to Europe’s top club competition, Ozil and Alexis will have a huge part to play.

Participation in that competition will also translate into finances recouped, especially with our two main sponsorship deals scheduled for renewal.

source: NBC Sports