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Arsene Wenger 'convinced' Alexis Sanchez will sign new Arsenal contract

Arsene Wenger has told beIN SPORTS that Alexis Sanchez wants to stay at Arsenal, while he remains "convinced" that the club can reach an agreement with the forward on a long-term contract extension.

However, the Arsenal manager also says there is a limit to how much money the club can offer Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, and cautioned that "you cannot put the club in jeopardy" for the sake of the players.

Sanchez and Ozil both have 18 months remaining on their Gunners contracts and have been involved in ongoing discussions with the club over signing extensions.

"Alexis Sanchez is a committed player who wants to stay. I'm convinced we'll find an agreement. It has to be in our potential," Wenger said. "We are not scared to spend the money and we are not scared to show the players we love them, and we want them to earn big money but we have to have a line of conduct."

The contract talks with Sanchez and Ozil have been a talking point throughout the season as they have yet to sign extensions despite their current deals expiring at the end of next season.

Sanchez, who has reportedly already been offered a big-money move to China, also insisted last month that he is happy at the club, but that it was up to Arsenal to "show confidence" in him with a suitable contract offer.

Wenger said he remains optimistic that an agreement will be reached, despite the players reportedly holding out for deals worth in excess of £200,000 a week -- well above the club's current wage structure.

"It always starts with money, it finishes with money and in between the players want to stay or want to go," Wenger said. "When the players want to stay it's easier to find an agreement. We can certainly find an agreement. You cannot put the club in jeopardy as well for the players.

"I think no matter what happens we'll try to keep them and we'll go as high as we can and if we cannot go further, we cannot go further. That's basically it. That's the way you have to manage a football club."

Meanwhile, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown feels the uncertainty surrounding Wenger's own future is affecting the club's contract talks with Sanchez and Ozil.