Arsene Wenger insists they will not sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Chelsea - because he will be one of the best English players in the near future.
Chelsea are desperate to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer and the Arsenal midfielder has only got a year left on his contract and made it clear he will not sign a new deal.
Blues boss Antonio Conte is reportedly readying a £35m bid for Oxlade-Chamberlain to bolster his squad but Wenger says they will resist any offers even if it means risking losing him for free next year.
Wenger said: “Personally, because I rate him highly and he’s one of the players who is on his way up.
In the last year, he has made huge progress and personally I want him to stay here for a long time.
“I’m convinced he will be the English player that everybody will look at in the next two years.
“I have regular conversations with the players where I tell them where I stand and they know what I want and where I stand on that front.”
When asked whether he thought Sanchez would sign a new deal, Wenger added: “Look, at the moment no, because we have not progressed on that front.
“At the moment he is a player who goes into the final year of his contract and prepares for the season.
We have not made any progress on the other front.
“That is a consequence (leaving for free) of what I say, yes, unfortunately.
But we have to make a choice between efficiency on the field and financial interest and most of the time if you can find a good compromise, it’s better.
“But in this case, I think I prioritise the fact that he will be useful on the sporting side.”
Wenger says Jack Wilshere will stay for the final year but is still not ready for first team action.
“I think he needs games now. He might play again on Monday night (for the under-23s) but overall, what is important for him is the natural progression to be completely fit. He is not far away now,” said Wenger.
No comments:
Post a Comment