Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger claims Alexis Sanchez 'will accept' he is staying: 'It is suicide' to say any more
- Arsene Wenger reiterates intention to keep Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal
- The Frenchman says Sanchez looks like he hasn't been away following return
- Wenger says Arsenal will allow Lucas Perez after just one season at the club
- Arsenal news: All the latest from the Emirates Stadium
Arsene Wenger has claimed Alexis Sanchez 'will accept' his decision to keep him at Arsenal for the final year of his contract and said it would be 'suicide' to say any more on the subject.
The Chile international appeared in front of 5,000 fans at the Emirates Stadium as part of an open training day on Thursday, but speculation over his future continues to dominate Arsenal's pre-season preparations.
Despite the risk of losing him for nothing when his contract expires next year, Wenger reiterated his intention to hold on to Sanchez and also said the club will continue in their attempts to convince him to sign an extension.
Alexis Sanchez 'will accept' that he is staying at Arsenal for the final year of his contract
The Chile star will be allowed to leave for free when his Arsenal deal expires next summer
Asked about Sanchez's frame of mind heading into the new season, Wenger said: 'My decision is clear, he will stay. He will accept that.
'I’m pleased that I have him available and focused to play. We all sign contracts and as long as we are under contract, we will respect the contract. That’s what Sanchez does. I think he will be here for this season. If we manage to do it for more seasons we will.
'The frame of mind of a footballer is quite easy - once you go out into the game, you focus on that. (He is) good, you can see it in training. He needs to work on his fitness but he is sharp and looks like he has never been away.
Wenger jokes with Sanchez during a recent training session at Arsenal's London Colney base
Sanchez poses for a photo with his fellow Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck at the Emirates
Pushed for further detail, he said: 'That is again something that I do not want to come back on. Every negotiation has to be a little bit secret.
'The transparency of society is very pushy but we have to resist a little bit, as much as we can. we know as well we have a duty to inform people, but to talk about some things is not information anymore - it is suicide.'
Sanchez is not the only first-team star entering the final 12 months of his deal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere all face uncertain futures and Wenger confirmed there was no update regarding their respective situations.
'Nothing to announce,' he said. 'We make always progress but there is nothing concrete to tell you about that.'
Lucas Perez is free to leave the Emirates after Wenger admitted he has too many strikers
While Sanchez looks set to remain in north London, one player set to have his wish for a transfer granted is striker Lucas Perez.
The Spanish star barely featured in his one and only season for the Gunners and Wenger confirmed he will reluctantly allow him to leave because of the excessive amount of competition.
On whether Lucas' future lies elsewhere, he said: 'Yes because we have a congestion of strikers. I don’t like to lose him because, for me, he’s a top-quality striker but we have many strikers.
'At some stage, too much competition is not competition anymore. You cannot give the chance to everybody, so if he finds a satisfying solution at least for a short time, he will do it.'
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