Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are playing hardball to sign an extension at Arsenal as they are demanding increased wages and asking for the inclusion of a buy-out clause in their new deals.
Arsenal’s transfer activity this summer was somewhat haphazard with Arsene Wenger making extremely cautious buys, and choosing not to break the bank, unlike most sides in the Premier League.
In fact, 13 of the 20 clubs in England’s top tier broke their club-record fees in order to rope in their transfer targets. But Wenger chose to take a more conservative approach which saw him receive plenty of slack.
However, the Frenchman managed to keep hold of core players at the Emirates and brought in just the adequate number of signings needed to bolster his side. Now with the window shut, he still has certain contractual issues to be resolved pertaining to a couple of his key players.
At the end of the 2015/16 season, Wenger had understood to have begun talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil over possible extensions at the club. The duo were in impeccable nick last season and played a pivotal role in guiding the Gunners to their best league finish in over ten years.
Despite that, there were speculations in the market linking the players with moves away, but nothing concrete seemed to develop as they remained Arsenal players come the 1st of September.
The attention has now been turned to the player’s new contracts, as a few hindrances have arisen before they decide to put pen to paper. According to ESPN, Gunners’ new signing Shkordan Mustafi will be looking to convince Ozil to sign a long-term deal at the club.
But it is reported that he, along with Sanchez, want increased wages and a buy-out clause to be included as a part of their contractual agreement.
Ozil is currently earning close to £140,000 per week at the Emirates and the Mirror believes he is holding on for another £60,000 before things are put in black and white. Sanchez, on the other hand, is hell-bent on having a buy-out clause being included in his contract.
That would mean that the decision would be vested in the hands of the player should a club equal the required amount to trigger his buy-out clause. Once a bid has been made, Sanchez can choose to leave the Gunners without the approval of the board or the manager.
