Ozil and Sanchez deals: Should Arsenal's rivals pounce in January?

Published on: 28 November 2017

Arsene Wenger has given an update on the futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil could leave Arsenal if an "unbelievable" offer is received. But would you want your club to go big for them in January?

Considering that Arsene Wenger rejected £50 million for Sanchez from Manchester City in the summer, a similar sum when the window re-opens would constitute a stunning offer -- especially with the Chilean available for £0 at the end of the season.

The same goes for Ozil. Signed for £42.5m in 2013, selling for £50m with six months left on his deal would represent sound business for Arsenal.

Would a rival be up for an offer in January and for which player? We asked our bloggers and you can vote too.

MAN UNITED

Ozil for £50 million in January is a deal worth doing. If the last few months have shown anything, it is that Manchester United have willing foot-soldiers in midfield but that -- in the absence of Paul Pogba -- they do not have someone who can consistently orchestrate their attack. Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are very good at playing off Pogba, but they can't really assume the reins. United do not need Sanchez -- they have Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who between them have all the talent a coach could want -- so if Ozil is available, it makes sense to go for him now. -- Musa Okwonga

MAN CITY

Having missed out on Sanchez in the summer, it's more likely that Pep Guardiola would spend £50m on him in January than Ozil. However, given he's available for free at the end of the season and the fuss he kicked up about moving to City, it seems unlikely the league leaders would want to pay that kind of cash. They should hold the cards to get a better deal. If the breaking point is £50m for a January transfer, City should wait -- and £100m for the pair would be a no-go too. -- David Mooney

CHELSEA

The prospect of Eden Hazard and Sanchez flanking Alvaro Morata is certainly attractive and given the Arsenal man can play anywhere across the front three, his versatility would be a huge asset to Chelsea. At £50m, the Chile international would be a steal in January and he doesn't have the World Cup to worry about either. But Ozil lacks consistency, would probably struggle to live with the rigours of Conte's training regime and would almost certainly try and protect himself for the World Cup as the season progresses. -- Mark Worrall

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil's contracts expire at the end of the season.


LIVERPOOL

If Liverpool are spending £50m in January it should be on a defender, not Sanchez or Ozil. Next summer when both players are available for free is a different matter entirely. Sanchez in particular would be perfect for Liverpool and missing out on him four years ago proved to be catastrophic. As for Ozil, he flatters to deceive but perhaps he could thrive under Jurgen Klopp. With Philippe Coutinho likely to leave for big money, throwing big wages at Sanchez and Ozil could be a shrewd option for the Reds. Whether the pair would be interested is another matter. -- Dave Usher

BARCELONA

Of the two, Sanchez is worth closer to £50m but there will be no Barca return for the Chilean. Ozil, though, is a genuine option as an alternative to Philippe Coutinho. The Catalan press are speculating about a £20m deal in the case Liverpool stand firm again. Arsenal are unlikely to go that low and Barca are unlikely to go much higher. It's a deal which feels like it would be January or never, too, with Ozil's Champions League availability a major plus. That won't be a factor in the summer, so there may not be any waiting for a player who turns 30 next season. -- Sam Marsden

REAL MADRID

Ozil and Sanchez would make decent additions to any squad but hardly fit the profile of youth being implanted at Madrid. Given the market £50m for either isn't a bad deal, but Zinedine Zidane doesn't really need them and they'll be available on a free next summer (and free to talk to non-Premier League clubs in January). A move for Sanchez would be the most logical given he would be a direct replacement for Gareth Bale, who looks increasingly likely to be offloaded in the summer due to his injury record. You suspect the Chilean wouldn't mind deferring to Cristiano Ronaldo and playing on the right. -- Rob Train

And the Arsenal view: should they take the deal?

ARSENAL

A fee of £50 million was more than acceptable for Ozil last summer, so if someone was prepared to offer that in January I'd bite their hand off. In the case of Sanchez, it's a little more complex. His goals against Tottenham and Burnley show he can still be a match-winner for Arsenal, and I'd be inclined to hold on to him and hope he can propel Arsenal back into the top four.

I'd be reticent to sell both players midway through the season, even for £100m the pair, as I think there's a real risk it could destabilise the team.

Ozil is performing well at the moment, but he has flattered to deceive many times previously and a dip in form could be just around the corner. Sanchez should remain in January so Arsenal can make as much use of him as possible -- and they just wouldn't find an appropriate replacement midway through the season. -- James McNicholas

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Source: espn.co.uk

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