Should Arsenal Sell Alexis Sanchez?

Arsenal are faced with a dilemma. Alexis Sanchez has one year left on his current contract, but he is showing no signs of wanting to sign it. In fact, he’s hinted on numerous occasions that his future lies elsewhere. With that in mind, should Arsenal let him go now, and receive a substantial fee, or risk (almost certainly) losing him for free at the end of the coming season?

Replacement?

I suppose the main question is, no matter what fee the Gunners receive, if there is no replacement on the market, then it would be hard to justify a sale. Arsenal would have to have a premium world class player lined up, otherwise the fans would surely be infuriated if the Chilean left. Thomas Lemar has of course been widely linked, but the 21-year-old is still very much a raw talent and it is very hard to see him coming in and having the impact that Alexis currently has, especially in front of goal anyway. Karim Benzema is another to have been linked (when isn’t he). Reports in Spain have suggested a £60million fee may be enough to see Madrid part with the 29-year-old, with Kylian Mbappe set to steal the limelight in Spain with a reported £160million move from Monaco.

Marco Reus is another plater that has often been dubbed as a potential replacement for Alexis, but the German’s repeated injury problem would surely be a concern when considering a big money move. Arsenal could test the water with a move for Aubameyang, also from Dortmund, but it would be hard to attract this calibre of player without Champions League football on offer – something the Gunners are having to learn to cope with after so long in Europe’s elite competition.

Fee?

Another huge factor when considering whether or not to sell Alexis is the fee on offer. With one year left on his deal Arsenal are not in a particularly strong bargaining position here, but with the market as it is then you would expect some cash-rich clubs like PSG to be willing to offer in excess of £50million for a player that has really confirmed himself as world class in recent seasons. In this lottery of a market, it’s anyone’s guess what fee he’d go for, sport betting canada will highlight the latest football and transfer markets.

To who?

PSG and Manchester City have been strongly linked, but surely if Arsenal had a chance to replace Alexis with a top quality player, sell for a good fee and to a foreign club – it would certainly worth be at least considering. The risk is that if they do not then Alexis would be within his rights to leave for no fee at all next summer and to a Premier League club, most likely Manchester City.

So, should Arsenal sell? It comes down to the 3 factors discussed, and then a more calculated decision can be made. As fans we don’t know the answers to the three questions above – but Arsenal do, and I expect them to make their decision based on that.