That's true but why didn't the club come to an agreement with Sanchez and say "Look, we know you want to go, sign a contract but we'll add a clause stating if you still want to go after this season then you can."
We don't get left high and dry and can still command some decent money for him. Honestly, can you think of another Premier League club that handles there contract negotiations more shabbily than Arsenal?
“Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.”
Does kind of beg the question all the same if he is going to stay as you believe why has he not agreed to this point?
Given his comments last summer about sitting down with the club on his return to London, who refused the meet, the player or the club, was it ever actually on as an event?
At this stage of proceedings he would be stone mad to sign for us before the summer when he can officially speak with other PL clubs (we all know this happens anyway) while any dirty foreign interest can be made open now.
So money wise he can do better elsewhere, football wise he could go for the new challenge malarkey and probably match us in respect of having the chance to win things so in terms of us being at the front of the queue it comes down to London life.
I actually think MO has played this whole thing very cutely, very well advised, all the flak is on the Chilean while the German just mooches along reminding everybody every now and then how fúcking brilliant he can be.
Man Utd would be my guess at this point.