According to various reports, Alexis Sánchez’s move to Manchester City is getting closer by the day. It’s believed that the Chilean has already agreed on personal terms with City, all that’s remaining is for the clubs to decide on a transfer fee.
The fact that the 28-year old hasn’t signed a new contract yet implies he’s looking for greener pastures. If this transfer was to go through, it would send seismic waves across the Premier League. Not only would it leave Arsenal in ruins, it’d go a long way in establishing Pep Guardiola’s vision at Manchester City.
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Arsène Wenger promised that the Chilean would be wearing an Arsenal shirt next season, but only time will tell if the gaffer can keep that promise.
Here are five repercussions for Arsenal and Arsène Wenger should Alexis Sánchez leave for Manchester City.
#5 Big club status revoked
Maybe this is where Arsenal were always meant to be. Perhaps Arsène Wenger just came to raise expectations before the natural position of the club was restored back to factory settings. Because now, the Gunners are languishing in 5th place with Europa League football on the cards next season.
They’re outside of the exclusive top four, losing their best academy players every summer and are on the verge of losing their star forward. This doesn’t sound like the day to day operations of a big club, and if Arsène Wenger sanctions the sale of the Chilean, nobody can call Arsenal a big club again.
#4 Mesut Ozil will want to leave too
Star players attract bigger names. And in the same vein, when a star player leaves a club, it motivates others to do the same. The 2016/17 campaign was all about Arsène Wenger being able to retain the services of Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Ozil, if one leaves, it’s almost guaranteed that the other will follow suit.
Although the two players fell from grace at Real Madrid and Barcelona, Ozil and Sanchez are firmly the stand out players at the Emirates, their status is unquestionable. Their influence in the mainstream world goes hand in hand and one needs the other to sustain their popularity.
So when Alexis Sánchez leaves for Manchester City, don’t be surprised to see the world’s most creative player follow him out the exit door. Why? Because world class players need to be surrounded by other top players.
#3 Fans will distrust Wenger even more
Throughout the entirety of last season, Arsène Wenger proclaimed that Arsenal were no longer in a position where they needed to sell. Gone were the days where to keep financially afloat they had to sell Fabregas, Nasri and van Persie to title rivals. Now they’re financially sound to the point where they can compete with Europe’s elite. However, we’re in the summer of 2017 and instead of Arsenal’s two best players being tied down to new contracts, there’s still confusion over where their future lies.
This confusion has been created by the incompetence of the club and delusional ramblings of the manager. He’s led fans to believe that Arsenal are a big club, despite not finishing in the top four, and that Sánchez and Ozil want to be at the club. All this despite the speculation regarding their future.
If you thought the protests were bad last season, they’ll be magnified in the upcoming season if Alexis makes the switch to the Etihad.
#2 Impossible to replace Alexis
How on earth do you go about replacing Alexis Sánchez? In 103 Premier League appearances, the Chilean scored 53 goals, that’s just over one in two games. In world football, there aren’t many wingers that can produce such an output in the most difficult league in the world.
After arriving from Barcelona for £35m, many labelled the 28-year old a top club reject. Fast forward three years and he’s just had one of the best seasons in Premier League history. He was the first player in 2017 to reach double digits in both goals (24) and assists (10).
On top of that, he scored 15 away goals in the league, only one player (Kevin Phillips, 16) in the history of the Premier League history has scored more away goals in a single campaign.
#1 Arsène Wenger would be conceding the title, again
Just like in 2012 when Arsène Wenger handed the Premiership title to Sir Alex Ferguson, the sale of Alexis Sánchez to City could produce the same result.
When Wenger sold Robin van Persie for the minuscule fee of £24m, he basically confirmed that Arsenal were a selling club and that he had no intention of winning the league. Now, in 2017, the Gunners are on the verge of selling the best player in the league to the best attacking side in the league. Why?
If it wasn’t for the three-month injury of Gabriel Jesus, City would have been the top scorers in the league last season. Instead of resting on their laurels, Pep Guardiola is out to capture the man that scored 24 league goals last season.
