Alexis Sanchez

[paulchapo]

How do you think he would help in that situation?

He is a bigger physical presence, if my memory serves me well, push him forward. At the moment we have three small players trying to play their way through, Sane is the same but slightly bigger. Sanchez is small also but powerful and pretty much guarantees goals. We still need an alternative though look at how many games Giroud changes when he comes off the bench.

 

[nmc]

Gylfi Sigurdsson has played in this country for 5 years, how can you think he's a striker? He's an attacking midfielder and always plays behind a striker. He's not the solution to any problem we have.

Interesting that few have mentioned Sigurdssons less than successful move to Spurs. Seems to thrive at places like Hoffenheim and Swansea but can he do it at a bigger club? I guess time will tell.

 

[domalino]

Interesting that few have mentioned Sigurdssons less than successful move to Spurs. Seems to thrive at places like Hoffenheim and Swansea but can he do it at a bigger club? I guess time will tell.

Spurs aren't even a big club.

 

[fredmont]

Who knows maybe Arsenal want to sell at the last minute. They are maybe using Sanchez to fund Lacazette with the timing conveniently off-set. The fall out will be limited if Sanchez leaves on 31st August with only limited post transfer deadline debate and a narrative of it was better to let him go etc. The most logical position for Arsenal to take at the outset would have been to sell Sanchez and auction him to the highest bidder - the player however, undermined this by effectively refusing moves to Bayern and PSG. The next most logical step would have been to sell to us and take us to the cleaners over the fee and reinvest it. The most illogical step is to keep an unhappy player and allow him to leave for free next summer in a squad where a number of other high profile players are running their contracts down - it's a recipe for disaster and Wenger knows that - he'd been creating a toxic dressing room. So the strategy (if you could call it that) seems to be to talk bull all summer and then do a last minute deal to get the £50m and probably avoid directly reinvesting the money - using it instead to offset earlier spending.

.[/QUOTE]
I hope you are right.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Who knows maybe Arsenal want to sell at the last minute. They are maybe using Sanchez to fund Lacazette with the timing conveniently off-set. The fall out will be limited if Sanchez leaves on 31st August with only limited post transfer deadline debate and a narrative of it was better to let him go etc. The most logical position for Arsenal to take at the outset would have been to sell Sanchez and auction him to the highest bidder - the player however, undermined this by effectively refusing moves to Bayern and PSG. The next most logical step would have been to sell to us and take us to the cleaners over the fee and reinvest it. The most illogical step is to keep an unhappy player and allow him to leave for free next summer in a squad where a number of other high profile players are running their contracts down - it's a recipe for disaster and Wenger knows that - he'd been creating a toxic dressing room. So the strategy (if you could call it that) seems to be to talk bull all summer and then do a last minute deal to get the £50m and probably avoid directly reinvesting the money - using it instead to offset earlier spending.

Good post, very possible that is right. Their fans will go absolutely apeshit if that is what they are planning. They would have been better selling him pretty much at the same time as the Lacazette announcement, that was the only way they could do it and keep the fans even remotely happy. I think they are making an absolute balls of things tbh.

 

[Healdplace]

I cannot see how either side want this to be a last day deal.

For us it means abandoning any other striker option, because if Arsenal still say - I told you we are not selling - on the deadline day we have nowhere to turn.

And if they do sell it backfires in the worst way on them as it angers fans without any prospect of signing a new star to at least mitigate the loss.

Plus, hanging onto him unless they really believe he will sign a contract if he has not gone anywhere by deadline day is a big gamble. They will have been paying him hundreds of thousands of pounds for weeks to be 'injured'.

It looks to me as if Arsenal are serious and either Sanchez takes it into his own hands now - which may not even matter if Arsenal are determined to hold on believing he will sigb a better deal in September. Or we just get someone else whilst there is still time.

Don't see how we benefit waiting until the last moment unless we think the stance not to sell is really an act. And every day it carries on that looks less and less likely.

If we need another striking option, as it seems Pep thinks we do, he will not be sitting around until the last minute of the last day hoping

 

[chaddblue]

If we get him (and I really hope we do), Wenger will be a laughing stock, a total humiliation for him. And the slightest hint of a bad run will see the tarquins baying for blood and he'll be gone by the turn of the year

The way I see it either

a) the board and Wenger are in agreement that he's going nowhere and unless someone has a last minute wobble or Sanchez does something dramatic to force a move, he'll stay for another year and arse will push him to sign an extension

Or b) Wenger is coming out with all this talk off his own back in the hope the board are pressured into keeping him as they know o

 

[St.Pauli support]

Aguero, Jesus and Sterling for 2 positions (3-5-2) or Aguero, Jesus, Sane, Sterling for 3 positions (4-3-3) is not enough. Not only will we come up short after 1 or 2 injuries but the likes of Sane and Sterling will run themselves into the ground (as they did at times last season even with Nolito, Navas and Iheanacho playing many matches). 1 more versatile forward will give those players the rest-bite they need and the added goal threat when Aguero and/or Jesus are out injured.

This.
Maybe some can't remember, so here we go:

2016/17 matches involved and minutes played:

Nolito - 30 - 1,350
Navas - 38 - 1,800
Nacho - 29 - 900

Comparison: most minutes played: KDB - 51 - 3,900 (guessed it?)

As we know Pep replaces mediocrity by quality, 1 more quality player will be necessary.
Yes, the youth will get minutes but they can't carry the workload week in week out.

 

[aguerooooo]

What are u on mate??? Stop asking silly questions! VVD is way over rated. But of a donkey if u ask me. He's slow not much difference between him and Mangala's if u ask me. Hope we don't sign him.. Sanchez is the player we need!

It was put out there to see what player was deemed more necessary, actually i am on Morphine for deformity in both feet. but not so out of it to suggest you dont have to belittle me

 

[Thenumber1blue]

Gylfi Sigurdsson has played in this country for 5 years, how can you think he's a striker? He's an attacking midfielder and always plays behind a striker. He's not the solution to any problem we have.

Not big and strong either for fuck sake !

 

[St.Pauli support]

...Arsenal have really misjudged the management of their squad and will reap what they have sewn.

Definitely.
Maybe AW also misjudged:

- the market prize development, allowing clubs to even spent big money on players in the last year of the contract. Maybe AW felt too safe.
- the possibility to miss CL footie. That alone is a huge factor for his big guns as they might feel like us that Arsenal under Wenger is not in the mix of title candidates anymore - for years to come.

High stake gamble. Not going to pay off.

 

[jonmcity]

I cannot see how either side want this to be a last day deal.

For us it means abandoning any other striker option, because if Arsenal still say - I told you we are not selling - on the deadline day we have nowhere to turn.

And if they do sell it backfires in the worst way on them as it angers fans without any prospect of signing a new star to at least mitigate the loss.

Plus, hanging onto him unless they really believe he will sign a contract if he has not gone anywhere by deadline day is a big gamble. They will have been paying him hundreds of thousands of pounds for weeks to be 'injured'.

It looks to me as if Arsenal are serious and either Sanchez takes it into his own hands now - which may not even matter if Arsenal are determined to hold on believing he will sigb a better deal in September. Or we just get someone else whilst there is still time.

Don't see how we benefit waiting until the last moment unless we think the stance not to sell is really an act. And every day it carries on that looks less and less likely.

If we need another striking option, as it seems Pep thinks we do, he will not be sitting around until the last minute of the last day hoping

If not agreed by Next Monday will not happen.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

He'll come here in January.

 

[St.Pauli support]

This all day long. Sigurdsson who just signed for Everton would have been a great alternative option for us. Big, strong, skilful and scores goals. Our attack is too much of the same, all small forwards, sometimes especially in the premier league you need height and power to unlock and unsettle defences.

Didn't we fail last year due to a low conversion rate?
Can't remember too many missed headers as a reason...

Goals by headers for PL 2016/17:

Arsenal 17
West Bromwich Albion 16
Swansea City 15
West Ham United 14
Crystal Palace 13
Everton 13
Liverpool 12
Leicester City 10
Tottenham Hotspur 10
Manchester United 9
Watford 9
Chelsea 8
Manchester City 8
Middlesbrough 8
Stoke City 7
AFC Bournemouth 5
Hull City 5
Burnley 4
Southampton 4
Sunderland 1

We certainly have created loads of chances. We don't need height, but a higher conversion rate.

 

[Dobsy]

He is a bigger physical presence, if my memory serves me well, push him forward. At the moment we have three small players trying to play their way through, Sane is the same but slightly bigger. Sanchez is small also but powerful and pretty much guarantees goals. We still need an alternative though look at how many games Giroud changes when he comes off the bench.

I've never seen Sigurdsson play up front. His strengths seem to be long range passing, crossing and long range shooting.

If you're suggesting an option like Giroud, I understand. I think that's what Bony was supposed to be for us and what Dzeko used to be for us sometimes. I don't think Pep will go for it though.

 

[Marvin]

He'll come here in January.

I think he'll move at the end of the season to PSG tba in January. He'll get the financial rewards, and CL football, whilst PSG can get another big name addition without adding to their costs. The chances of a last minute move to City have receded in my opinion because Arsenal have not managed to bring in a Lemar or a Mahrez.

I doubt he'll have a season anything like as successful as last because his head and heart will be elsewhere. There might also be some resentment in the Arsenal dressing room and amongst their fans. I remember similar situations at City when our first team players were winding down contracts and it soured their relationship with the fans. That sort of thing is important at a football club. Instead of a new start with all their players tied in and dependent on the future of Arsenal, their season will be overshadowed by increasingly frustrated calls to sign the bloody contract which of course he has no intention of doing.

 

[kun]

Think he might be getting Sigurdsson and Llorente mixed up. Sigurdsson is certainly not a striker, neither is he big or strong or that good a goalscorer. In fact most of his goals come from set-pieces if i'm not mistaken. We already have 3 (maybe 4 including Gundo) playmakers better than Sigurdsson.

 

[St.Pauli support]

He'll come here in January.

Really?
And what would City be ready to pay for a player who has 5 months left on the contract and is cup tied for CL?
Or do you think Sanchez won't play EL matches?
Or do you think City will be out of Europe by then anyway?

A move in January is a lose-lose and won't happen.

 

[Ric]

He'll come here in January.

I wouldn't have thought there'd be much/any chance of that happening.

 

[nijinsky69]

I think he'll move at the end of the season to PSG tba in January. He'll get the financial rewards, and CL football, whilst PSG can get another big name addition without adding to their costs. The chances of a last minute move to City have receded in my opinion because Arsenal have not managed to bring in a Lemar or a Mahrez.

I doubt he'll have a season anything like as successful as last because his head and heart will be elsewhere. There might also be some resentment in the Arsenal dressing room and amongst their fans. I remember similar situations at City when our first team players were winding down contracts and it soured their relationship with the fans. That sort of thing is important at a football club. Instead of a new start with all their players tied in and dependent on the future of Arsenal, their season will be overshadowed by increasingly frustrated calls to sign the bloody contract which of course he has no intention of doing.

Unless Sanchez forces the issue a January move would be my bet, assuming we are still interested. I don't buy the loyalty bonus stuff - we could easily compensate him for its loss. If he wants to move now it really is down to him.

Overall it feels like Wenger has convinced the Arsenal board that Sanchez will continue to perform but if he doesn't they can still sell in January. It's a huge risk for Arsenal on a number of fronts.