Good riddance.
Arsene Wenger has revealed how the protracted saga of Alexis Sanchez’s future cast a cloud of uncertainty over the Arsenal dressing room.
Sanchez will become a Manchester United player in a swap deal that will see Henrikh Mkhitaryan move in the opposite direction and Wenger has hinted at a sense of relief now that the club can move on from an extended period of disquiet surrounding the Chilean dating back to when he came close to joining Manchester City in the summer.
Indeed, Arsenal’s decline in form coincided with intensifying speculation over Sanchez’s departure. The Gunners went through a five-game winless streak before thumping Crystal Palace 4-1 on Saturday and Wenger feels as though constant scrutiny over their wantaway forward had an impact on the squad’s harmony.
“Not the other players, just the team. You work in a newspaper and there are periods when the atmosphere is less enjoyable than others. It is the lack of clarity. It is not losing players – teams are used to losing players.
“But it is fact that you have uncertainty in the group – that they don’t know if he will be here or not. Once it is clear, the team gets used to it. We have a strong squad that does not only depend on one player, that is for sure.
“Let’s not forget that if Sanchez goes, somebody else will come in who has quality as well. It is not that we are only losing a player, we are gaining a player as well. And we are still active in the transfer market and trying to bring players in.”
There were reports in December that a group of Arsenal players had grown increasingly frustrated by Sanchez’s attitude. Although the former Barcelona man continued to give his all whenever he played, it was reported that he was involved in a training bust-up with some of his team-mates.
However, now that he is Old Trafford-bound, Wenger seems to be optimistic for the future. Arsenal are getting a quality playmaker in Mkhitaryan in return and they have been strongly linked with Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the past week. Should the Gabon international join, Arsenal have more than enough firepower to climb up the table from their current position in sixth and secure Champions League football for next season.
