Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits to being ‘naive’ when it comes to contract talks with star men Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil
Gunners duo are holding out over new deals with just 18 months remaining on current contracts
ARSENE WENGER admits he is naive in negotiations over the new £200,000-a-week super-deals for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
The Arsenal duo, with just 18 months left on their current deals, are playing hardball with Wenger.
Sanchez and Ozil both want parity with the Premier League top earners and are refusing to budge from their massive demands.
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Wenger, preparing for tonight’s final Champions League group game against Basel, said: “Maybe I am a bit naive, but it’s more about meeting the players’ needs.
“The luxury of the modern game means it is not only about the money because the players make good money wherever they play at this level.
“It’s about the way the club has values, the way the club has ambitions, the way the club respects the players.
“For me that is a more important ingredient for every player to deliver. The money is good everywhere for everybody.”
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Wenger also revealed that the changing landscape in world football means face-to-face negotiations with players are a thing of the past.
The Arsenal manager, out of contract himself at the end of the season, admitted the agents have all the power when it comes to brokering the next big deal.
Wenger added: "Nowadays you negotiate with the agents more than with the player. We are in negotiations, yes.
“The players have 18 months away from the end of their contracts, so it's normal.
“But the players always come in right at the end to talk when it’s a renewal, but with the first contract you meet the players.
“After that, when you renew, 90 per cent of the contracts are negotiated with the agents.”
Ozil and Sanchez, the stand-out players in Arsenal’s season, have both travelled to Switzerland for the final group game.
Although Arsenal are unlikely to dislodge Paris Saint-Germain from top spot in Group A, Wenger is reluctant to make too many changes.
Last week’s defeat in the EFL Cup at home to Southampton - when Wenger made 10 changed - has convinced him to pick a strong side.
They blew West Ham away 5-1 at the weekend and Wenger wants to complete the Champions League group stages unbeaten by sticking with the same bunch of players.
He added: “The advantage of finishing first is you play the second leg at home, and possibly 30 minutes of extra-time at home.
“PSG are favourites to beat Ludogorets at home and win the group, but we can assess that scoreline at half-time and see where we go.
“Overall it’s about stability. You never know what might happen in Paris, but we are unbeaten until now and we want to win the next game.
“When a guy is in good success and full of confidence, it’s more dangerous to stop him than to keep him going.
“What is physical and what is mental in that is always very difficult, and predicting who is tired and not is hard.
“Scientifically we are not advanced enough to be able to judge how mentally tired they are, so I have kept them all together.”
Francis Coquelin is out through suspension, but Olivier Giroud returns to Arsenal’s squad.