Im sure we want him and we have been trying to sign hkm up in a new contract for a very long time, if he wants a new challenge and a final bumper pay check before he retires the. There isnt much more we can do, unless we offer him 100,000 a week for the next 3 years and i can understand why Arsenal wouldnt want to do that.
In this case indont think you can be pissed with Arsenal, as i said from what i have heard he wants a new challenge and Arsenal have been trying to renew his contract for the last couple of seasons.
I didn't mean Arsenal could have made his mind up, and it's not as if Arsenal doesn't want him.
What I meant is that Arsenal could have dealt with it differently. When the player turns down a renewal offer in his penultimate season with Arsenal, the manager should have said 'blimey Bac, we have an impasse now, don't we? I'm gonna have to put you on the transfer list now and I'm taking you out of the first team, because your plan your future elsewhere, don't you?'
And maybe there and then, buy another Right Back as soon as it became clear that he wouldn't be renewing, giving us a chance to offload him before this season started.
You have to remember the club has some bargaining power too, it's not only the player. But the way things are going, the players are having it their way with Arsenal.
If he chose to see out his contract, he could potentially face one full season sitting on the bench during a World Cup year. So Arsenal could have a strong hand in this matter and settle his transfer one year earlier on our terms: with a transfer fee and preferrably to a team out of England.
It's very similar to what happened with Van Persie - except he was our star striker, and much more high profile than Sagna, therefore difficult to justify leaving him training with the reserves in case he didn't want to leave.
In the end, I'm highly suspicious Wenger just doesn't want to get in the way of his players, maybe because he likes those guys. Yeah, Wenger seems like a really nice fella.
But this is not always nice to the club. Take a look at how some other managers do everything in their power to prevent their players from coming to Arsenal. We offered 40m good money on Suarez (which indeed activated his release clause) but the Liverpool chairman said 'contracts don't mean a lot these days'. See if Mourinho cares about Demba Ba sitting the whole season on the bench, instead of playing for Arsenal?
What I suggest here is ruthless, I know. But think about it, it would be the right way to protect you assets. If you foresee that a player departure is inevitable, you have to do it. Nothing personal, just business.
Wenger is losing the arm-wrestling with his players who want out and turns out they go out where they please.
I won't hold it against Sagna, especially because he's a discreet fella and I think he will do things in a respectable manner. But the problem is there, no doubt. Food for thought...