Wenger faces testing end to transfer window

LONDON - Rocked by Arsenals humiliating 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, Arsene Wenger faces a series of damaging transfer window defections that threaten to derail his sides already chaotic season. With the transfer deadline looming at 2200 GMT on Thursday, Gunners boss Wenger finds himself mired in a mess of his own making as Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain headline a host of Arsenal stars trying to flee the troubled club. Chile forward Sanchez is desperate to seal a move to Manchester City after rejecting Arsenals offer of £300 000-per-week to extend a contract which is due to expire at the end of the season. Sanchez, who angered fans when he was pictured smirking on the Arsenal bench during the Liverpool rout, is reported to have asked to be excused from training with Chile this week while negotiations over his future heat up. City are said to have offered their England winger Raheem Sterling plus cash in a bid to convince Wenger to part ways with his prize asset. Wenger reportedly countered by asking City to include Sergio Aguero as a makeweight in the deal but, while Pep Guardiola has shown signs of losing faith in the Argentine striker, it would be a surprise if he was allowed to joined Arsenal. City would prefer a straight cash deal for Sanchez, but are believed to be willing to compromise by including Sterling and would fly to Chile to sort out personal terms and a medical before the deadline. Sterling, who was sent off after scoring Citys winner at Bournemouth on Saturday, could be surplus to requirements at Eastlands given the array of attacking talent in Guardiolas squad. Sanchezs future isnt the only problem piling up in Wengers in-tray. England winger Oxlade-Chamberlain has snubbed Wengers attempts to persuade him to sign an £180 000-per-week contract extension and, with his deal running out in June, he is reported to be on the verge of joining Chelsea in a £35 million deal. West Bromwich Albion are looking at signing Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs, while Shkodran Mustafi, Jack Wilshere and Mathieu Debuchy could also be sold. Damage limitation After a miserable first season with Arsenal, Lucas Perez has been told he can leave and the Spanish striker hopes to return home, with Levante among the interested clubs. Wenger will try to off-set those potential losses with some last-ditch shopping of his own and West Brom defender Jonny Evans and Paris Saint-Germain winger Julian Draxler are among his mooted targets. For Arsenal to be in such a panicked state is a huge blow to Wenger only three months after an FA Cup final triumph against Chelsea that the 67-year-old Frenchman hoped would herald a new era of sustained success. The craven manner of Arsenals capitulation at Anfield, coming just a week after a disappointing defeat at Stoke, laid bare all the flaws that Wenger has been unable to fix in recent years. Without a Premier League title in 13 years and absent from the Champions League this season following last terms fifth-place finish, Arsenal are no longer a marquee destination for the sports top stars. Now Wenger, who signed a new two-year contract in the close season, looks set to spend the remaining hours of the transfer window in damage limitation mode. And former Arsenal star Ian Wright has seen enough, claiming its time for his old boss to step down. Where do we start? The amount of things that are going wrong, it does come back to Arsene Wengers door. Were three games in and were literally at crisis point, Wright told the BBC. Do I think he should go? I would like him to go simply because I do not believe now that Arsene Wenger can motivate those players with everything thats going on above him. We are three games in and its already an absolute nightmare. Agencies

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Wenger faces testing end to transfer window