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Wenger: Should have sold Sanchez sooner, even without a replacement

Stu Forster / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits the club should have sorted the Alexis Sanchez situation sooner, even if a replacement for the Chilean goal-scorer couldn't be found.

Typically not one for revisionist history, Wenger's admission comes as a minor shock amid a two-decade-plus tenure noted by the tactician's steadfast and sovereign ways. After the Sanchez saga finally came to a head with January's swap move with Manchester United, surprisingly, Wenger concedes that things should have been handled differently.

"And as well there was a lot of uncertainty around the team with the Sanchez case, the Ozil case. For the whole season that was a really difficult case," Wenger told BT Sport, courtesy of the Evening Standard's James Benge.

Sanchez appeared set to secure a £60-million move to Manchester City on the last day of the summer transfer window, but Arsenal allegedly withdrew from the deal after failing to cement a reported £92-million move for Monaco's Thomas Lemar.

"In hindsight, maybe despite the fact we couldn’t have brought somebody in we should have cut that earlier," Wenger added. "Sanchez, for him it was very difficult because as soon as he had game that was average he was questioned about his commitment and that is not his case."

Sanchez's move to rival United was part of an uncharacteristically frenzied winter window for Arsenal, with the Chilean and the club's two other top goal-scorers from a year ago in Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud also exiting the Emirates. Francis Coquelin and Mathieu Debuchy also flew the coop as the Gunners shuffled the deck with the additions of former Borussia Dortmund tandem Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

"I must say as well people don’t realise how much work is behind these transfers," the Frenchman continued. "How much uncertainty, how much energy, how much travelling, how much sleepless nights is behind that and it’s difficult to combine all that together and to make it all work you know?"

Wenger will fancy a decent sleep Friday, as his lot travel to the friendly confines of Wembley Stadium to face Tottenham in the north London derby. Arsenal looks to do the double on its hated rival after topping Spurs 2-0 at the Emirates in November.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

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