Arsenal round-up: Wenger on pressure; Ozil and Sanchez latest; attempts to sign Monaco star last summer

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Arsene Wenger’s future is going to be the main story regarding Arsenal for the coming months, as he refuses to make a public decision either way. The team’s 10-2 aggregate defeat against Bayern Munich was humiliating and there is an increasing feeling that the Frenchman needs to leave his post at the end of the season. However, he has stated that he is still ‘very motivated’ and he didn’t want to compare his situation to Luis Enrique’s at Barcelona.

“I feel all right, I feel very strong, very motivated, ready to give my best. It just sums it up that two weeks ago he (Enrique) was an idiot and everyone said ‘You have to leave’, so he said, ‘Okay, I go’.

“Today he is a hero. That sums up the job. In fact, I made an equation because I am a mathematical fan that I will give you one day. It’s not the right moment (to share it). I am sure you will enjoy it. It is an equation about a manager’s job. I made a formula.”

His refusal to comment either way on his future is worrying as the uncertainty is doing the team no favours. Arsenal are facing a crucial couple of months and it is crucial that everybody at the club is pulling in the same direction. At the moment, the focus is on Wenger and it could have a damaging effect on the team. Meanwhile, the final comment is just baffling and shows that the pressure is beginning to get to him.

It isn’t only the future of their manager that they have to worry about, as a number of first team players are eyeing an exit. The two that they will be most concerned about are Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Although they are both frustrating at times, they are clearly the best two players at the club and it is important for Arsenal to keep them for the foreseeable future. However, the Mirror report that there is an increasing chance that both will leave this summer.

They will be questioning the ambition of the club after another disappointing showing in the Champions League. Both players have the ability to win major honours and that is exactly what they will want to be doing for the next few seasons. If they don’t believe they can do that at Arsenal, then they will move on to pastures new. Neither player will be short of offers and it does look like they will be leaving the Emirates Stadium in the summer unless there is a drastic change.

There will be major changes to the playing squad in the summer, but one target that they will struggle to attract is Kylian Mbappe. The 18-year-old has scored 13 goals for Monaco this season and has seen his reputation increase in the game. However, according to Arsene Wenger, Arsenal tried to sign him last summer.

“I approached him last year because I really believe that he has an exceptional future ahead of him,”

“Unfortunately today, all these young players are in full view from very, very early on and all the big clubs want them. I hope the fact that everybody is already talking of nobody but him isn’t going to have a negative impact on his future.”

Mbappe will be interesting a lot of Europe’s top clubs after some excellent performances in Ligue 1 this season, therefore it is unlikely that Arsenal will be the ones to capture him this summer. That is disappointing for the Gunners as the young forward has the potential to become one of the best players in the world and has even been compared with club legend Thierry Henry. It is encouraging that Arsenal are tracking young players like Mbappe, but it is a concern that they aren’t managing to sign them.

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