Sanchez 'very happy' at Arsenal, puts emphasis on club to sort out future
Alexis Sanchez and Arsenal are playing a game of chess when it comes to contract negotiations, and the Chilean forward insists he won't be making the first move.
On Friday, in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves, Sanchez confessed the onus is on Arsenal when it comes to renewing his contract with the Gunners. The comments were made amid speculation that a club from the Chinese Super League is willing to pay the product of Cobreloa a weekly salary of somewhere between £400,000 and £500,000.
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Asked whether he wishes to put pen to paper on a new contract, Sanchez answered: "I'm focused more on winning football matches - I'm staying concentrated on that. It really doesn't depend on me - if they want to show confidence in me. I'm very happy at the club. I love all the staff. I'm very grateful for everybody here." He subsequently added: "It depends on Arsenal. I enjoy the relationship with the fans. I want to achieve more for them. I want to win the Premier League and the Champions League."
Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, isn't losing sleep over Sanchez's future, nor that of Mesut Ozil, who reportedly also wants to be among the Premier League's top earners if he is to sign a contract extension with Arsenal. Both players are committed to the Gunners until June 2018.
"There is no concern, not at all," Wenger claimed, according to the Press Association. "There is no concern, I answer you straight away. You waste your time because these players have 18 months (left on their) contract and I don't see why there is any urgency in every press conference to have that question.
"Maybe you lack a bit of creativity in the newspapers and you always come up with the same subject. I don't see why that should turn up in every press conference. If people want to go to China, they go to China. You can understand that I have completely different worries than China today ahead of the Manchester City game."
Sanchez boasts 12 goals and five assists for Arsenal through 16 Premier League appearances this season, and will look to add to that tally Sunday, when the Gunners visit City, hoping to recover from a 2-1 defeat at Everton.