Ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright has hit out at the club’s board for the way they’ve handled the ‘disgusting business’ of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez’s contract situation.
Ozil and Sanchez are out of contract at the end of the season. They will be available to leave on a free transfer if they’re not sold for a cut-price deal in the January transfer window.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Wright said that rival clubs would be laughing at Arsenal over the way the Ozil and Sanchez contracts have been dealt with.
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“It is terrible business for Arsenal, for a club that is accused of being a business to allow two players like that to run their contracts down,” he said.
“Sanchez on top form is easily a £100million player. Ozil on top form is worth £70m to £80m. Arsenal are letting that go. It is disgusting business on the management side for Arsenal.
“How are you going to sell players like that in January for £25m? It is like people are laughing at you. Manchester City could find £25m in the car seat or something. And you’re going to get Sanchez for that kind of money?
“For it to get to this point where they can be offered that kind of money… and why would you offer £60m when they are free in a few months?”
Wright believes Sanchez should be sold next month and accused the Chile striker of looking “disinterested” this season. While Ozil has been on impressive form, Wright says it’s hard to get excited over a player who looks likely to leave the club.
He added: “With the way that Sanchez is playing and having seen him be substituted in recent times, something that never used to happen, I would probably take the hit on him now because it looks like the towel has gone in and his heart isn’t in it now.
“It is a cynical view to have but it is very hard to be excited about a player [Ozil] that you need and know there is a good chance that they are going to leave. It is very hard because the kind of form he is showing is what we wanted to see from him and now it is happening we might be losing him.
At least he is putting in a shift to help the team win points. But Sanchez you might as well recoup whatever money you can in January because he does not look interested.”
