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Arsene Wenger

LONDON. – Arsene Wenger has blamed inflation for Arsenal’s failure to tie down the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to new contracts. Sanchez and Ozil are in the final year of their current deals and have held off from extending their terms with the Gunners. Both players are being linked with some of Europe’s top teams and the attacking duo look set to leave north London at the end of the season. Wenger has now hinted that neither Arsenal superstar will pen new contracts at the Emirates.

And the French boss believes that is because the bloated transfer market means players can now demand mammoth wages or look elsewhere. Wenger said: “There’s a big inflation that means most of the clubs have two situations with players who go to the end of the contract.

“There are players who do not want to renew and players who expect higher wages so don’t want to sign the contract because they expect huge wages due to the inflation. So that results in more and more players going to the end of their contracts. This year in the English Premier League we have 107 players going into the last year of their contracts, that’s the first time we’ve seen that. There are about 500 players in the Premier League, that means 20 per cent of the players are going into the final year of their contract, for different reasons, for many reasons, but one of them is that the inflation rate is so quick and so high that the expectation level [for wages] is very high.”

Arsenal, who are currently fifth in the Premier League, take on Watford on Saturday. Sanchez and Ozil have struggled for form and fitness so far this season but both should be available to take on the Hornets at Vicarage Road. But Sanchez could finally secure his move to Manchester City in January.

Arsenal face losing their star forward in 2018 either for a cut-price in the New Year of for free next summer. The 28-year-old has opted against signing a contract extension, leaving the Gunners almost powerless. City saw a £60m bid accepted on deadline day in the summer, but Arsenal pulled out of the deal due to their failure to land a replacement.

Sanchez has continued to feature, although it appears his end at the Emirates is edging near. According to The Telegraph, Arsenal players believe Sanchez will be allowed to go in January. City are subsequently expected to make another move and table a cash offer.

Having refused to include winger Raheem Sterling as part of any deal, a significantly lower fee than £60m is set to be put forward. The Daily Mail suggest it could be around the £20m mark. Pep Guardiola has not given up hope of reuniting with former Barcelona ace Sanchez this season. – The Daily Star.