When the CIES Football Observatory released their study of individual player values on the global transfer market in January, Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez was rated the tenth most valuable player in the entire world and fifth in all of England.
His transfer value was projected at 82 million Euro, or 60.63 million British pounds.He was the only Gunners player to make CIES’ top 15 on the 100 man list.
He’s also the only member of the Gunners on the PFA Player of the Year Award short list.
Sanchez is in the form of his life and thus he’s attracting suitors the whole world over, including China. The massive amount that he would command on the open market could have ripple effects around the rest of the team and even the Premier League. Asked if he had concerns that paying one individual star player a whopping amount could have adverse effects on the rest of the team, Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger told a news conference:
“Always. But we must accept as well that modern life has changed a little bit. We always had a wage schedule that was respected, and players earn so much money now that the cases have become much more individual than global.
“But you have many different opinions there. Some people tell me, ‘just give him what he wants.’ But then you cannot respect anymore any wage structure and you put the club in trouble as well.”
“That is why you have to make the decision in an objective way. Always the club has to be the priority,” Wenger continued.
“I understand as well that top players is a big priority but at the end of the day, even for important players, you can only pay as much as you can afford.”
The 27-year-old forward is currently earning £130,000-a-week since he arrived with his big money contract from Barcelona. He is the best attacking option that Manager Arsene Wenger currently has. Both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will be out of contract at the end of next season, and extension talks will not take place until after the season has concluded.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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