Arsenal Wenger believes that Alexis Sanchez’s “hunger index” is still strong despite being in the final year of his contract.

What’s a ‘hunger index’? Well, according to Wenger, it’s simply how committed a player is to performing when he’s in the final year of his contract.

It’s becoming something of a talking point this summer as Wenger is doing all he can to keep Alexis Sanchez at the club despite the Chilean not wanting to extend it beyond 2018.

There’s some thought that Alexis will not be 100% committed to Arsenal as he attempts to avoid a major injury which could scupper his potential move to Manchester City. His manager, however, believes it won’t be a problem at all.

“The real question we have to answer is does the hunger index increase or decrease when you have a short contract or a long contract?” said Wenger, reports Arsenal.com.

“I would be on the opposite side. That means the hunger index is higher when the contracts are shorter and it decreases naturally when the guys have long contracts.

“Contracts mean a lot. When you sign them as a club, you have to pay the money for the player if he performs or not. That gives you a huge responsibility and gives a guarantee of income to the players. Overall, I believe that it has a meaning.”

Wenger seems to be referring to the uncertainty of not having a secure contract and indeed, some players do play better when their contract is running down. Theo Walcott famously had his most successful season in an Arsenal shirt when he was chasing a new contract during the 2012/13 season.

However, it may be different for a player who knows he’s getting a new, big contract from someone. Whether it’s at Arsenal or at City, Alexis knows a new contract is coming his way sooner or later.

It could be that the player’s personality is what prevents him from phoning it in this season. Alexis just wants to play regardless of anything and is known for always giving his best on the pitch.