Th ere is “no comparison” between the situations of strikers Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal and Diego Costa at Chelsea, says Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. Sanchez, 28, is in the last year of his contract at Emirates Stadium and has yet to agree a new deal, while Costa has said he wants to leave the Blues. Wenger added 23-year-old midfi elder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, also out of contract at the end of the season and a reported target for Chelsea, will stay. “I rate him highly,” said Wenger.
“I want him to stay here for a long time and I’m convinced he will be the English player in the next two or three years that everybody will look at.” Wenger, 67, has previously said Sanchez “respects” his decision to keep the Chile forward at Arsenal this season, despite reported interest from Manchester City and Paris StGermain. On Wednesday the Frenchman said Arsenal have not made any more progress on a new deal for Sanchez and were prepared for him to leave on a free transfer next summer. “We have to make a choice between effi ciency on the fi eld and fi nancial interests and most of the time you can fi nd a compromise,” said Wenger. “In this case, I prioritise the fact that he will be useful on the sporting side.”
