Arsene Wenger expects Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to honour their contracts while insisting the Arsenal duo will not leave this summer.
Standard Sport understands that Ozil and Sanchez want assurances regarding Arsenal's transfer plans before signing contract extensions, with both players free to leave the club at the end of the 2017-18 season for nothing.
It is believed that Sanchez and Ozil discussed targets with Wenger towards the end of last season, and will now wait to see the club’s summer strategy in action after the manager signed a new two-year contract himself.
Arsenal had an £87million nid for France sensation Kylian Mbappe rejected on Firday morning, but Wenger remains adamant that neither Sanchez nor Ozil will not be sold in the summer transfer window regardless of who he brings in.
Wenger told beIN Sports: "This summer... first of all [Sanchez and Ozil] will stay at the club and hopefully we an extend their contract."
Pressed on whether the duo would leave, Wenger simply stated: "No."
Following a pause, Wenger added: "You know you cannot weaken the club and weaken the team and you want to strengthen the team.
"Unless you find a player of the same calibre, if they want absolutely to leave... so I believe at the moment we are not on that front, we are just focused on keeping the players and the team together, and see how to strengthen the team."
Regarding any potential impact that contract extensions for Sanchez and Ozil would have on his squad, Wenger said: "I would say I'm more surprised by that question because when you sign a contract somewhere, you commit to give your best until the end of the last day of your contract, so I would say, 'why should they not give their best?'
"The interest of any player is always to play football and well, because even more so when you end the contract.
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"Your interest is always to give always your best and if you are a winner you want to win the game you're playing."
Pressed on whether keeping Ozil and Sanchez until the end of their contracts and risking losing the duo for nothing was a problem, Wenger again replied: "No."
