Arsene Wenger refuses to rule out selling Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in January

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Arsene Wenger closed the door on Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil being sold in January at his press conference this morning, but then slightly re-opened it, subject to “something unbelievable” happening during the transfer window.

Arsenal are currently facing losing both Sanchez and Ozil for free in the summer when their contracts expire, making the January window their last chance to cash in on either of them. With Manchester City keen on Sanchez and Barcelona and Manchester United interested in Ozil that will give Wenger a difficult decision to make when the window re-opens in the new year.

Wenger has always tried to say publicly that the pair would not be sold and would be held to the last year of their contracts. That was his line at his press conference this morning, saying first that the pair would still be here on 1 February and that he “ruled out” the possibility of their leaving in January.

But when asked whether that represented a final decision from him, and an absolute refusal to sell, Wenger did admit that there were circumstances under which it would be possible. All it would take is “something unbelievable”, which is to say, an offer big enough to make it worth Arsenal selling.

“I do not think about it every day,” he said. “At the moment, 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 and that’s a decision that was taken at the start of the season. Unless something unbelievable happens, I can’t see why that would change.”

It is quite plausible that an offer would come in for Sanchez or Ozil that would make Wenger reconsider his official stance. He spent all summer saying he would not sell Sanchez to City and then agreed to do exactly that on deadline day, only pulling the plug when he failed to land Thomas Lemar from Monaco.

Wenger said that he would still like Sanchez or Ozil to stay and sign a new contract, but he accepts that is now out of his control. “I am not the only one who can decide that,” Wenger said. “They have a part to play in that as well. If it’s my decision, yes.” Ozil missed Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Burnley on Sunday with illness but he is pencilled in for training today, after which his readiness for Huddersfield Town on Wednesday night will be assessed.