What’s the story?
Arsenal have earmarked £50 million to replace Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, according to a report in British newspaper The Sun. FC Porto’s Algerian forward, Yacine Brahimi is the prime target to replace Sanchez, while the Gunners have their eyes set on Schalke 04 midfielder, Max Meyer, to replace his German counterpart in midfield.
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Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil’s future has been the subject of incessant speculation this season – the Chilean has one year left on his deal, while Mesut Ozil has 15 months left before his contract his up as well. The duo have been tipped to leave Arsenal as the Gunners endure another frustrating season under Arsene Wenger, with
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The heart of the matter
Given that Mesut Ozil is reportedly demanding a wage in the range of £250,000-a-week, the German is probably going to be sold as Arsenal remain stubborn in their wage structure. Arsene Wenger also recently refused to confirm that the Gunners had offered Alexis Sanchez a £300,000-a-week wage, saying “I cannot confirm that we have offered that. We have to consider our financial potential to sustain the wages of the whole squad.”
According to the report in The Sun, Arsenal’s scout Francis Cagigao has been raving about Max Meyer’s qualities. The German international has rejected a new deal, which means that he will be available for a cut-price £15 million, just a year after Schalke rejected a £45 million offer from Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal will have to compete with Liverpool for Meyer’s signature but are confident of getting the 21-year-old with the promise of first-team football.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Arsenal should sell Alexis Sanchez
The Gunners will spend the rest of the £50 million on Algerian winger Yacine Brahimi, who has impressed Arsenal scouts with his ability on the ball and his versatility – he’s able to play wide and centrally and can thus replace Alexis Sanchez. FC Porto are hoping that a bidding war between AC Milan, Inter and Arsenal will drive his price higher than the £35 million Brahimi is valued at currently.
What next?
Losing players of the calibre of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil would nonetheless be a devastating blow to Arsenal. Their board will be keen on wrapping up deals for their replacements quickly, so as to appease fans, which could see the Gunners pay a price above the market rate.
Author’s Take
To go from household names like Sanchez and Ozil to Brahimi and Meyer is a step-down, whichever way you look at it. Arsenal fans will no doubt be livid, but the purchase of Meyer could prove to be a masterstroke. Things are less certain when it comes to Brahimi, who has already had issues with his work-rate and attitude at previous clubs.
