I could sell Ozil and Sanchez in January, admits Arsenal boss

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed for the first time that he could be forced to sell Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in January.

Both players will be free to leave Arsenal for nothing at the end of the season but Wenger was adamant he would rather lose them for free than sell to their rivals before the start of the campaign.

Neither are close to agreeing terms to new Arsenal deals, despite Ozil’s agent suggesting talks have progressed positively, and Wenger has conceded both could leave the club in the January transfer window.

“Once you are in our situation, you envisage every solution. It is possible [for them to leave in January],” The Daily Telegraph quote Wenger as saying at his press conference on Thursday.

“I always said just because we didn’t find agreement, it doesn’t mean they will leave. Both players are happy here - I hope the situation can turn around.”

Arsenal reached a £60m agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of Sanchez at the end of the summer but a deal collapsed after the Gunners failed to sign a replacement in time. 

Pep Guardiola’s side will return for Sanchez in January and will have been given further encouragement following Wenger’s comments, while Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho reportedly wants to reunite with Ozil at Old Trafford.

Since the start of last season, only Eden Hazard (13) has won the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times in the Premier League than Sanchez (11), while only Harry Kane (42) and Romelu Lukaku (39) have played a direct hand in more goals than the Chile international (35) in that period.