Wenger ready to let Sanchez leave for free in summer 2018

The French coach said Arsenal are ready to suffer financial losses if the Chilean striker does not want to renew his contract.

"We have not made any progress. At this point, he is a player entering the final year of his contract and we have not made any progress on the extension. There will be a consequence that I think is unfortunate, but we have to choose between the effectiveness on the pitch and the financial effectiveness. In this case, I prefer the professional aspect," Wenger said at a press conference ahead of the Premier League match against Stoke City this weekend.

Alexis Sanchez has just one year left on his contract with Arsenal. And if they can't convince him to extend his contract, the Gunners will lose the Chilean star for nothing when he leaves on a free transfer next summer.

Wenger does not want to sell Sanchez this summer. Photo: PA.

Wenger confirmed Sanchez will not play this weekend as he is still recovering from a muscle injury. The Chilean striker could return for the next game, against Liverpool next weekend.

Wenger said he was confident Sanchez would sign a new contract with Arsenal and insisted the striker's situation was not linked to Diego Costa's situation at Chelsea. The Spanish striker missed pre-season with Chelsea and is in Brazil hoping to return to Atletico Madrid.

"I don't think there is any common ground to compare. We wanted Sanchez to stay with the team, and Chelsea did not consider Costa essential," said Wenger.

The 67-year-old coach supports the idea of ​​closing the transfer window before the Premier League season starts next year. Several managers have spoken out on the issue.

According to VNE