Arsenal: European club targets Sanchez; Belotti bid update; Gibbs summer intention

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Atletico Madrid could join the list of teams that are preparing moves for Alexis Sanchez as they identify the player as a possible replacement for Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Atletico believe that Sanchez would be the perfect replacement for the striker. Meanwhile, there are reports that PSG are lining up a £60 million summer approach, which would be tempting to Arsenal considering that the Chilean has only 18-months left on his current deal.

Although the Gunners need to keep hold of their best players, no individual is bigger than the club and if Sanchez chooses to leave, they must let him do so in the summer. They can’t afford to let a player of his quality leave on a free transfer, regardless of how big a blow it would be to lose him in the summer. A fee of £60 million would be a fair reflection of Sanchez’s value and could perhaps even be seen as generous for a player that would be entering the last year of their contract. However, it would make it imperative that Arsenal finish in the Champions League places as they would struggle to replace the Chilean without the allure of Europe’s premier competition.

According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal have not made a transfer bid for Andrea Belotti, despite reports that the Gunners have had a huge offer rejected. The Torino director Gianluca Petrachi had stated that the club had received and turned down an offer from Arsenal for their star striker. However, these claims seem wide of the mark as Arsenal plan to leave any major transfer business until the summer.

“We received and refused a €65m offer from Arsenal for Andrea Belotti, but it does not reflect the value of the player.

“Anyway, he is going nowhere for now. We want to enjoy him, then we’ll see what happens.”

This is a weird story, because there is no reason for Petrachi to lie, but at the same time, Torino would be foolish to turn down such an offer for Belotti. He has been extraordinary this season, scoring 13 goals in only 17 appearances in the league, but he has yet to show the consistency that a player worth upwards of £50 million must show. There will be European clubs tracking his development as he has potential and could become a Champions League calibre player. However, at this time he isn’t worth that, therefore I’d be surprised if that bid was indeed placed by Arsenal, a team that is normally cautious in the transfer window.

Kieran Gibbs could be set for a move away from the Emirates Stadium as his contract continues to run down. According to the Telegraph, Arsenal are searching for established left-backs, with Jose Gaya being one of the names on their agenda. Gibbs’ contract expires in 2018 and it is likely that he will be sold in the summer while he still holds some value. The signing of Cohen Bramall has further weakened Gibbs’ hopes for a long term future at Arsenal.

It would be a good time for the left-back to leave the Emirates Stadium as he is now 27 and desperately needs first team football. He has made only two starts in the league this season and his development has been damaged by his bit-part role at Arsenal since breaking through. He will still hold hopes of being involved in the England squad at the 2018 World Cup and for that to happen, he must be playing regularly in the Premier League. It would be a good move for both club and player if he does leave this summer.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Stuart MacFarlane