Ray Parlour believes most players would “snap your hands off” for the contract Arsenal are offering Alexis Sanchez, although the Chilean is so far resisting.
The former Arsenal midfielder believes that the club are offering Alexis very good money and would accept such an offer himself in a heartbeat.
“I know they’ve put a very, very good offer on the table which most footballers would snap your hands off for,” Parlour told the Evening Standard. “But he’s getting advised by other people who are telling him he can get this and that.
“The news was floating around that he wanted over £400,000-a-week, which is ludicrous really, but there’s an offer of £300,000 on the table. That’s really good money.”
Reports of Alexis’ wage demands emerged throughout the summer as the play effectively priced himself out of a move to Bayern Munich. Even Paris Saint-Germain were unwilling to pay him that sort of money.
However, it does seem like the contract is a secondary concern. If it was the main issue, there’d be nothing preventing him from accepting Arsenal’s offer. Parlour acknowledges this, and feels Alexis may go the way of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and leave for a fresh start.
“Maybe he needs a fresh start. Oxlade-Chamberlain is a prime example, they put a good offer down for him but he wanted to move. It’s a shame for Arsenal but if the player wants to go he will eventually,” he said.
“I’m sure he will put 100 per cent in in every game this season and then if he doesn’t want to stay you just move on. No player is bigger than the club and we’ve seen so many fantastic players leave the club. It’s hard to deal with but you’ve got to.”
It’s likely at this point that Alexis will leave the club, either in January for a cut price or in the summer when his contract expires. Until then, there’s hope that he’ll still perform for the club.
He came on as a second half sub in the win over Bournemouth and received a mixed reception from the Emirates crowd. It’ll be interesting to see if he starts either of Arsenal’s games this week.