Official: Alexis Sanchez joins Arsenal

Chile international striker Alexis Sanchez has agreed to join Arsenal Football Club on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

Sanchez, 25, joins Arsenal from Barcelona where he made a total of 88 appearances, scoring 39 goals during his three seasons with the Catalan side.

With Barcelona, Sanchez won both La Liga (2012/13) and the Copa del Rey (2012), as well as the Spanish Super Cup on two occasions (2011, 2013), the UEFA Super Cup (2011) and the FIFA Club World Cup (2011).

Regarded as one of the world’s finest talents, Sanchez has just returned from the World Cup in Brazil, where he played an integral role in Chile qualifying from their group (which included the Netherlands, Spain and Australia) and reaching the round of 16. During the tournament, Sanchez scored two goals from his four appearances.

The striker, who has now made 71 appearances for Chile, scoring 24 goals, started his career with Cobreloa, based in Calama in north Chile, where he spent a season before moving to Santiago-based Colo-Colo, where he won the Chilean Primera Division in 2007.

After convincing performances in Chile between 2005 and 2007, Sanchez went on loan to Argentine side River Plate, where he added the Argentinian Primera Division to his honours.

Following his success in South America, Sanchez made a permanent move to Serie A side Udinese in 2008, where he spent three seasons, scoring 20 goals from 95 appearances, before making the move to Barcelona in 2011.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said: “As many people have seen during the World Cup this summer, Alexis is a fantastic footballer and we are delighted that he is joining us at Arsenal Football Club.

“Alexis will add power, creativity and much quality to our squad and we are all looking forward to him joining up with us in a few weeks. He has consistently produced top-quality performances at the highest level for a number of seasons now and we are all excited to see him integrate into the Arsenal squad. I’m sure all Arsenal supporters will join me in welcoming Alexis to our club.”

Sanchez said: “I’m so happy to be joining Arsenal, a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players, huge support around the world and a great stadium in London. I’m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to be playing for Arsenal in the Premier League and Champions League. I will give my best to Arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy.”

Sanchez travelled to London Colney on Thursday to complete his medical and will join up with his new team-mates at the end of July, after spending some time on holiday following the World Cup.

It is expected that Sanchez will make his first Arsenal appearance at the Emirates Cup, which takes place at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3.

Sanchez’s Arsenal squad number will be revealed soon through Arsenal’s official Instagram account.

A full interview with Alexis will feature soon on Arsenal Player.

Everyone at Arsenal welcomes Alexis to the club and looks forward to seeing him in an Arsenal shirt.

The transfer is subject to the normal regulatory process.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140710/alexis-sanchez-agrees-to-join-arsenal

Beat Debuchy to it. Woot!

YESSSSS           

Still really wondering where he is going to play. He can play across the top but is primarily on the right. Which is good while Theo is recovering. Just what then?

Will have to wait and see.

Wowoahwowlolwut!

Spoiler:

6unner wrote:Still really wondering where he is going to play. He can play across the top but is primarily on the right. Which is good while Theo is recovering. Just what then?

Will have to wait and see.

he plays better on the left apparently

excellent signing, congrats! would of loved to seen him at Old Trafford

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

yaasssssss

YAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I just clicked on my facebook page before I came here, and I saw Sanchez in the Puma Kit and I nearly fell out of my chair

So early in the transfer window also. Gunners everywhere going into shock now.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

  

Hopefully the start of a new revolution at the Emirates.
On a different note Nike kind of ruined the Puma's moment. Sanchez is wearing a Puma Kit and Nike shoes. I know he has a deal with Nike.

Apparently Flamini, Arteta and Cazorla are at the Puma launch and celebrated when they heard the news.

This is another step forward for the club. When we signed Ozil last summer, we all hoped that he wouldn't just be a one off; that we could now firmly place ourselves in that market and be able to buy more players like that. Hard to believe we've spent more than £70mil on two players in back-to-back summer windows, from Real Madrid and Barcelona, both in their mid-twenties with their best years ahead of them. It's another great bit of opportunism as well.

It's fantastic that this one got done relatively early and efficiently, too. It didn't turn into a long, drawn-out saga with complications. Within two to three weeks of finding out his agent had been talking with Arsenal, he's an Arsenal player. Some work must have gone into this a couple of months prior.

He should add a new dimension to our attack. He'll provide the runs into dangerous positions that Ozil needs, can make things happen with his ability to run with the ball at pace, can play in a free role and unlock defence with passing, and can score goals. Will play on the right or left of our usual 4-2-3-1, but also gives us the option of having two up front. So instead of having to throw on Sanogo when we need a goal, we can just put Sanchez in the middle.

I'm really tempted to buy Emirates Cup tickets now.

GET INNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

FFS

What number will he wear for us   

GoonerJay29 wrote:Apparently Flamini, Arteta and Cazorla are at the Puma launch and celebrated when they heard the news.

This is another step forward for the club. When we signed Ozil last summer, we all hoped that he wouldn't just be a one off; that we could now firmly place ourselves in that market and be able to buy more players like that. Hard to believe we've spent more than £70mil on two players in back-to-back summer windows, from Real Madrid and Barcelona, both in their mid-twenties with their best years ahead of them. It's another great bit of opportunism as well.

It's fantastic that this one got done relatively early and efficiently, too. It didn't turn into a long, drawn-out saga with complications. Within two to three weeks of finding out his agent had been talking with Arsenal, he's an Arsenal player. Some work must have gone into this a couple of months prior.

He should add a new dimension to our attack. He'll provide the runs into dangerous positions that Ozil needs, can make things happen with his ability to run with the ball at pace, can play in a free role and unlock defence with passing, and can score goals. Will play on the right or left of our usual 4-2-3-1, but also gives us the option of having two up front. So instead of having to throw on Sanogo when we need a goal, we can just put Sanchez in the middle.

I'm really tempted to buy Emirates Cup tickets now.

Another big step forward indeed. Next a DM and I will be hopeful ffs

Sanchez’s Arsenal squad number will be revealed soon through Arsenal’s official Instagram account.

Some reckon it'll be 23.

13 is available as well, as is 18.

EL Patron wrote:What number will he wear for us   

EL Patron wrote:What number will he wear for us   

Maybe Rosicky can give him 7

It's interesting that you brought it up Jay. I was thinking about this earlier today. With so many players who can play as a 9 or a SS, it would make sense to play 2 up front to exploit this.

But that would mean Özil on the wing. I dislike that idea. Cazorla, Rosicky and Ox can play wider as well, but I dislike Özil there. It seems such a waste! Jack, Ramsey, Flamini, Arteta (and Diaby) would cover the remaining 2 midfield positions.

Sort of reminds me of 07/08, that.

Why should Rosicky give up his number? He can take 7 after Mozart retires with us

srigooner wrote:It's interesting that you brought it up Jay. I was thinking about this earlier today. With so many players who can play as a 9 or a SS, it would make sense to play 2 up front to exploit this.

But that would mean Özil on the wing. I dislike that idea. Cazorla, Rosicky and Ox can play wider as well, but I dislike Özil there. It seems such a waste! Jack, Ramsey, Flamini, Arteta (and Diaby) would cover the remaining 2 midfield positions.

Sort of reminds me of 07/08, that.

I noticed towards the end of last season, for the last three or four games, that Podolski was actually playing off Giroud as an SS while Ozil played on the left mostly. Whether that was by accident or design is impossible to tell, but it did produce some good football. Ozil didn't look uncomfortable out there.

Against Everton in the FA Cup Ozil played from the left, too, while Cazorla was central. And he went there during the FA Cup semi-final and final when we paired up Sanogo and Giroud.

I think to start with we'll continue with the 4-2-3-1 because that's what best suits our squad, but with so many options Wenger may be tempted to use the 4-4-2 occasionally, especially in cup games. Just having that option to change things is valuable.

But also, when you consider Ozil likes to make runs into the channels, I think Sanchez will naturally drift into the vacated central space anyway.

GoonerJay29 wrote:

Sanchez’s Arsenal squad number will be revealed soon through Arsenal’s official Instagram account.

Some reckon it'll be 23.

13 is available as well, as is 18.

23 suits him, 13 is weird. Cygan, Squillaci and Sylvestre all wear 18   

Arshavin wore 23, Hleb wore 13.

Maybe he'll do a Bentdner and have number 105 on his back.