No ultimatum as Arsenal's Ozil and Sanchez talks rumble on
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have not received a take-it-or-leave-it offer from Arsene Wenger, who wants Olivier Giroud to stay at Arsenal.
Arsenal have not issued a contract ultimatum to Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez.
Talk over the future of the two attacking stars, whose deals run out at the end of this season, has dominated the agenda at Emirates Stadium for months.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Premier League trip to West Ham, Wenger responded to reports Ozil has been given a bumper final offer of £275,000 per week by confirming talks are ongoing with both players.
"The conversations are, as always, going on with everybody. Our door is always open. I cannot tell you much more," said the Arsenal boss.
"I have said many times we want to keep them and, at the moment, that's all we can say. The best way to deal with these kind of things is to keep it as discreet as possible."
Asked whether a "take-it-or-leave-it" offer had been made, Wenger replied: "No."
Another Arsenal player whose future is seemingly up in the air as the transfer window approaches is Olivier Giroud.
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The boss has also been talking about “He’s not a super-sub for me, he’s a regular player. He’s a very good striker, and I respect and admire him.”December 12, 2017
The France striker equalled ex-Manchester United favourite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the weekend, his 17th goal as a Premier League substitute to snatch a point at Southampton the level best for a single club.
But Giroud, who was linked to Everton before the start of the campaign, has made all 13 of his top-flight appearances from the bench since Alexandre Lacazette's arrival from Lyon.
"He is not a super-sub for me, he is a regular player. I have plenty of good strikers and I cannot play all of them together," said Wenger, who is not keen on a January sale.
"I speak to all my players but it is very difficult to speak about what we talk about.
"He is a very important player. I have big respect for him and I am an admirer of Olivier Giroud. Look at how many French caps he has got since he joined Arsenal. I do not think he has wasted his time.
"Personally, I want him to stay at the club until the end of the season and then we'll see.
"I can give you 10 more cases. Every player who doesn't play wants to start in the Premier League."
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