Whisper it quietly around the Emirates, but the summer of 2017 might just be the time for Arsenal to look at cashing in on their two prized assets
Both have just 18 months left on their contracts and so can start talking to other clubs in around a year with views to moving on Bosman frees in July 2018
Whilst it might seem madness to even consider jettisoning two of the best players currently plying their trade in the Premier League, consider this; If they both stay and in the summer are rewarded with new three year deals worth £300,000 per week Arsenal would be in for a whopping combined bill of over £31 million just in wages
That would take them both to the summer of 2020 at which point they will have no sell on value.
Alternatively they could sell them for in excess of £30 million each - China for Alexis and back to Real for Ozil - and use the money towards record bids for Aubameyang and Griezmann from Dortmund and Atletico respectively
These two would still demand stellar wages, but paying newcomers high salaries rarely results in knock on effects to your existing wage structure in the same way that increasing existing players wages always does.
Finally, considering that both will be approaching their 30th birthdays at the end of there current contracts coupled with the admirable inability of Arsenal's star Chilean to accept even a single match break and Ozil's mercurial peaks and troughs in form, it is quite likely that neither player would be top of Europe's big clubs shopping lists
They may both find that whilst being 30 is too old to tempt the big boys, they might feel themselves is still way too young to ply your trade in Qatar or the US.
So there are three very real choices open to Arsene Wenger
Pay up, ship out or hold firm
Most Arsenal fans would probably favour the first one, but maybe Arsene himself is just a little too stuck in his ways to take the easy option.
Source : DSG
Source: DSG