Arsene Wenger admits Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil could leave Arsenal in January

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Arsene Wenger has admitted Arsenal could sell Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in January.

Sanchez and Ozil are into the final year of their respective contracts and Arsenal could be left facing the prospect of losing them on free transfers next summer.

That has opened the door to the prospect of Arsenal cutting their losses and cashing in during the next transfer window.

Manchester City are still desperate to sign Sanchez after failing with a deadline day bid in August while Wenger admitted that Arsenal are not close to reaching an agreement with Ozil.

That comes despite Ozil’s representatives suggesting talks are going well but Wenger admitted a January sale is something they may have to consider.

“Once you are in our kind of situation we have envisaged every kind of solution yes,” said Wenger. “Yes, it’s possible.”

When asked whether Arsenal have set a deadline on their contract negotiations, Wenger added: “No not at the moment.”

Wenger insisted that they have not given up on keeping Ozil who has been demanding a deal worth £350,000-a-week while Arsenal have offered £275,000-a-week.

“I always said that the fact that we didn’t find an agreement last year doesn’t mean the player will necessarily leave. Both players look happy here and overall I hope that the situation can be turned around. But at the moment, we are not close enough to announce anything.”

Wenger also clearly has fears over whether Sanchez will be fit to face Watford on Saturday as the injury doubts mount up.

Shkodran Mustafi has been ruled out for up to six weeks with his thigh injury, Sead Kolasinac is a doubt with a hip problem while Laurent Koscielny will have a late fitness test.

Sanchez will only return later after being away on international duty with Chile which saw his nation crash out of the World Cup. But Wenger insists Sanchez will not lose motivation.

Wenger, who is boosted by the return of fit again Ozil and Danny Welbeck, said: “I believe that he (Sanchez), like Aaron Ramsey, are winners.

“They want to focus on winning things and overall I believe that the World Cup is a stimulant - I don’t deny that - but when you don’t have it, you focus on your club and what you can achieve with your club.”

Wenger insisted that Jack Wilshere can still earn himself a place in England’s World Cup squad, said Arsenal’s fixture with Liverpool should not be played later than 2pm on Christmas Eve and ridiculed Paul Merson’s planned comeback with a Welsh amateur side. Wenger also rubbished reports about Marc Overmars coming back as a director of football.