Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith feels that the Gunners should cash in on the services of Alexis Sanchez with his contract due to expire at the end of next season.
The Chile international has shown no signs of extending his deal, but manager Arsene Wenger is adamant that the attacker will remain at the Emirates.
Sanchez came off a bright season with the Gunners last term with 30 goals and 15 assists in all competitions. However, this was not sufficient to propel them into the top-four as they lost the final Champions League qualification spot to Liverpool, who held onto their one-point lead going into the final week of the campaign.
The Chilean has publicly stated that he would like to ply his trade in the Champions League next season – something the Gunners cannot offer for a change, but they are still willing to risk him for another year with the knowledge that he could leave on a free next summer.
In an interview with TalkSPORT, Smith has insisted that it is a ‘no-brainer’ for the Gunners to let Sanchez leave the club this summer, he said: “Arsene Wenger says he is determined not to sell him, but he seems determined to leave. If you’ve got an unhappy player…that’s not a great situation to have in the dressing room. For me, it’s a no-brainer. You’ve got to let him go, get the money and move on. What the owners would think about keeping a player you could get £60million for and then letting him go for nothing in 12 months’ time, I don’t know. It happens time and time again at Arsenal.”
Arsenal previously held a similar stance on Bacary Sagna prior to his Bosman move to Manchester City, but Wenger is determined to not lose another key player to the Citizens, whose boss Pep Guardiola is keen on a reunion with Sanchez.