Arsenal rule out Sanchez and Ozil departures in January

Arsene Wenger is adamant that Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will only leave in January if something extraordinary happens.

Sanchez and Ozil will only have six months to run on their current deals at the start of next year and will be free to sign a pre-contact with foreign clubs.

There were suggestions that Arsenal would look to sell both players in January in order to avoid losing both for nothing in the summer but Wenger insists that is not the case.

“I rule it out,” The Daily Mail quote Wenger as saying on Tuesday. “I do not think every day about that but as long as they are here they have to give their best for the team and the club.

“In my head, they stay until the end of the season. That is the decision taken at the start of the season unless something unbelievable happens.

“You always confront me with many speculation and state of the transfers but, for me, they stay until the end of the season. Will they stay longer? That is impossible to answer today.”

Ozil and Sanchez have only started five Premier League matches together this season and Arsenal have won three of those.

Neither have hit their best form this term, but Sanchez has scored in back-to-back matches, while Ozil has played a direct hand in four goals in his last four appearances (one goal, three assists).