Will Arsenal really break the bank to keep Alexis?

After reports from various sources in the media, including the reliable Sky Sports, emerged yesterday claiming that Bayern Munich had dropped out of the race to sign the Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, a report from the Daily Mail is now claiming that Arsenal have tabled a lucrative £270,000-a-week offer for Alexis to renew terms and stay at the Emirates.

Despite being short of the player’s demands which is understood to be around £300,000-a-week, the report from the Mail claims that the offer is loaded with incentives that take the package closer towards the range of £300k. The news comes on the heels of Wenger claiming that the Gunners are in a much stronger position to keep its best players compared to the time when Robin van Persie was sold to Manchester United.

Personally, I would take this news with a pinch of salt. While reports that Bayern have pulled out due to the player’s wage demands does seem to have a degree of credibility to it considering that Bayern have a limit of around £160,000-a-week in terms of player wages, I find it incredibly hard to believe that Arsenal are willing to pay upto £300k a week for the services of one player, despite the player being Alexis Sanchez.

But looking at the fact that the club are in a much better financial position compared to recent years and the very real possibility of slipping even lower with all the other big teams spending big, perhaps the club are finally willing to invest. But whether Alexis is willing to play in the Europa League is a totally different question altogether. Perhaps he can be convinced to stay for one season with a promise of being allowed to leave if the club do not make it the next season, like Suarez’s last season at Liverpool?

In any case, there is no question that Alexis Sanchez deserves to be paid the amount he’s asking for. With high returns in terms of goals and assists, peak fitness levels and arguably the best work ethic in the Premier League, the Chilean surely deserves to be one of the Premier League’s highest-paid stars. With that being said, I really hope to see El Nino Maravilla in an Arsenal shirt next season, although it would be a good idea not to get hopes up!