Arsenal

Lee Dixon: 'Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil should have been sold'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 08 November 2017

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon claims that former incarnations of the team would not have tolerated contract rebels Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon has claimed that Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil would have been "shown the door" in the teams he played with.

The contract disputes involving Arsenal's two most high-profile players continue to rumble on, with both available on a free transfer at the end of this season unless they are sold in January or agree a new deal before then.

Speculation has linked Sanchez with Manchester City and Ozil with Manchester United, and Dixon believes that having questions over their future and commitment creates an unhealthy atmosphere in the dressing room.

"We'd have just shown them the door. 'If you don't want to play, then go'. That's not changed," he told reporters.

"If a player doesn't want to play for you: it happened with Michael Thomas 18 months after he scored [the title-winning goal against Liverpool] in '89, he was in dispute with the club or George [Graham] about money. He ended up going in similar circumstances and signing with Liverpool.

"It's no different. If a player doesn't want to stay somewhere, yes, agents and players manipulate situations - and clubs do, in order to get the best deal for the parties concerned - but in general, if you don't want to go there, and you don't want to stay, then you will be ousted from the environment and dressing room pretty quickly.

"Players work out whether you want to be there or not, and certainly fans do when they see your performances on the pitch."

Sanchez has contributed just one goal and two assists in eight Premier League appearances so far this season, while Ozil has the same figures from nine outings.