Arsene Wenger says he must respect Arsenal's wage structure, amid claims that Alexis Sanchez wants in excess of £300,000 a week to keep him at the club.
Contract deals for Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have been delayed until the summer, with the German believed to be looking for a similar amount to convince him to stay.
Sanchez is a prolific scorer for the club, but Wenger seems unwilling to meet the Chilean's wage demands.
Speaking at a press conference, he said:
"Players earn so much money now that the cases have become much more individual than global. You have many different opinions there.
"Some people tell me - 'Just give him what he wants'. But then you cannot respect anymore any wage structure and you put the club in trouble as well.
"You have to make the decision in an objective way. Always the club has to be the priority.
"I understand as well that top players is a big priority, but at the end of the day even for important players you can only pay as much as you can afford."
When asked if the club had offered Sanchez the ballpark figure of £300,000, Wenger said he could not confirm if that was the case.
Arsenal's poor form culminated in a dreadful 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday as they sit in sixth place on the table. In addition, Wenger's future at the club remains in doubt with many calling for him to step down.
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