Alexis Sanchez still hasn’t agreed a new contract with Arsenal and, let’s be honest, who can blame the man?
With Arsenal paying him just £130,000 on a weekly basis, it’s a wonder he manages to put food on the table for his family in the bowls of his two golden retrievers.
Inevitably, as the Chilean’s current deal ticks away, talk of a potential move away from the Emirates is starting to grow. As always in this sort of situation, tabloid talk has seen Sanchez linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs… but he’s not *just* attracting interest from this continent.
Chinese Super League clubs are also said to be interested in Sanchez, willing to offer him the kind of deal that would allow him to dive into a Yuan-filled swimming pool à la Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales.
Assuming that the prospect of playing in such a well-respected league isn’t enough to tempt Sanchez to leave North London, the whopping £400,000-a-week wage on offer from some of the Chinese clubs might be enough to change his mind.
Admittedly, it’d be a hell of a surprise if Sanchez did decide to make the move – he’s not even 28 yet and at the peak of his powers – but as pointed out by John Cross in the Mirror, this isn’t the point. Whether he intends to head to China or not, having this kind of offer on the table is a pretty useful bargaining tool when negotiating a new contract with Arsenal.
Clearly, Arsenal can’t match the kind of wage packet on offer in China, which may pose a problem for Arsene Wenger. Whereas it doesn’t necessarily mean Sanchez will end up in China, it’s enough to stall contract talks at the Emirates.
If this contractual stalemate continues, Arsenal may be forced sell Sanchez while he has a year left on his contract instead of risking letting him leave for nothing a year later – as was the case with Robin van Persie.
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