Arsenal board backs Wenger's decision not to sell Sanchez
Arsene Wenger has been supported by the board at Arsenal over his decision to possibly risk losing Alexis Sanchez on a free transfer next year by rejecting advances to sell the Chilean this summer.
Arsenal and Sanchez's representatives have failed to find a resolution during intermittent contract negotiations over the past several months.
The 29-year-old has been the subject of numerous reports linking him with a lucrative transfer, with Manchester City believed to have been the front-runner to secure his services earlier this summer as he entered the final year of his contract.
Yet, Wenger has remained defiant over his position that he expects Sanchez, who returned to training last week after an extended summer break, to honour his contract despite risking his departure without the chance of the club receiving a transfer fee if he decides to leave next summer. And now it seems that Wenger is not alone after revealing he has the support of the board when it comes to the team's transfer policy.
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"Yes, the board supports me to make the decisions on a technical front," Wenger confirmed to reporters, courtesy of Sky Sports, when asked if he has the backing of the team's board.
"I can tell you is that he is focused, and my decision is clear: he will stay and he will respect that. It is as simple as that," Wenger said of Sanchez.
"Every negotiation has to be a little bit secret. The transparency of society is very pushy but we have to resist a little bit, as much as we can. I think he will be here this season, and if we can do it for more seasons we will do it as well."
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Along with City, Sanchez has also been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, whose president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, while speaking at the unveiling of €222-million signing Neymar, insisted that any interest in Sanchez would be discussed with Wenger in order to maintain the "excellent relations" between the two clubs.
Sanchez is joined by a number of players whose contracts expire next summer, with Mesut Ozil also among the notable squad members likely to enter the season without a new deal.