Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that the Premier League club will not sell star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in the January transfer window, according to a report on the Guardian.
Both players are nearing the end of their contracts at the north London club and could potentially leave on a free transfer in the summer.
Both are open to begin pre-contract talks with any club they like in January but the Gunners are still hopeful of persuading the players to sign new and improved contract extensions.
When asked if he thinks the players will leave in January, Wenger said:
I rule it out. Look, I do not think every day about that. As long as they are here, they have to give their best for the team and for the club. In my head, they stay until the end of the season. That’s the decision I took at the start of the season. Unless something unbelievable happens, there’s no reason why that should change.
Sanchez came close to joining Premier League rivals Manchester City last summer and is still being linked with a move to the league leaders.
German attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil has been linked with a move to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United but Wenger confirmed that both players remain concentrated on the task at hand with the Gunners.
Arsenal will need Sanchez and Ozil if they are to challenge for a UEFA Champions League spot for next season.
