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Brendan Rodgers Reveals ‘Reason’ Sanchez Chose Arsenal

By on July 18, 2014

Brendan Rodgers claims that Alexis Sanchez only chose Arsenal ahead of Liverpool due to ‘geographical reasons’.

The Chilean international was one of the most sought-after players in Europe after Barcelona made him available for transfer in order to make room for Luis Suarez in their squad.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus were the front-runners and after weeks of speculation, we finally secured his signature in a deal worth around £32m last Thursday.

Obviously this led to plenty of banter between fans on Twitter, with Arsenal supporters mocking those Liverpool fans who claimed there was ‘no way’ Sanchez would turn down a move to Anfield for the Emirates.

Unfortunately for them he did just that and Brendan Rodgers has now jumped to the defence of his club, claiming that the only reason Sanchez moved to Arsenal was because we are based in London.

When asked by reporters yesterday if Liverpool are struggling to attract top players following the Sanchez snub, Rodgers said:

“I don’t think so,” he added.

“That was one where geography dictated where he wanted to go – simple as that. It’s been the other way.

“Lots of players are really impressed by what we are doing as a club and really excited about coming to Liverpool.

“It wasn’t due to a lack of ambition by the club. It was about where the player and his family wanted to choose to live.

“He’s a fantastic player and would have suited us. His profile would have been great but it was not to be and we move on.”

We heard plenty of speculation as to why Sanchez was pushing for a move to the Emirates over Liverpool throughout the whole saga, and yes, the fact we are based in London was in our favour.

However, you must be mad if you think that was the sole reason he chose Arsenal. The player himself revealed in his first interview last week that it was only after a personal conversation with Arsene Wenger in Brazil – in which the boss spoke to him in Spanish – that he decided he wanted to join Arsenal.

The attacker also explained how he feels we suited his style better than any other club and he shared Wenger’s vision on where he will play during his time at the Emirates.

Obviously an arrogant man like Rodgers couldn’t let himself believe he had simply failed to persuade Sanchez that Liverpool was the right club for him, and comforts himself by claiming it was only down to ‘geographical reasons’ that he missed out on a world class player.

He’s a decent manager, but he’s got a long way to go before he has the lure of a boss like Wenger.  Oh well, at least Rodgers was able to convince Rickie Lambert to move to Liverpool. Poor lad….

33 Comments

  1. Neal

    July 18, 2014 at 10:05 am

    He wanted to play with Ozil rather than Rickie Lambert.

  2. Annaba

    July 18, 2014 at 10:13 am

    Get your geography right . He’s from chile not Uraguay

  3. Neil higgins

    July 18, 2014 at 10:17 am

    Another midfielder? Would of preferd fabregas myself. Striker? Or Walcott upfront??

  4. Arselicked

    July 18, 2014 at 10:22 am

    I have always thought that Scousers are decent, obviously i was wrong. They are no better than Chelsea fans

  5. Dave

    July 18, 2014 at 10:22 am

    Bad choice from Sanchez… when Rambo, Ozil, Walcott, Ox & Wilshere all get injured again, he’ll be linking up with the likes of Gnabry & Sanogo. Plus he’ll probably want to join Liverpool after they completely destroy us in 20 minutes again :/

    • andy

      July 18, 2014 at 12:28 pm

      at least hes going to get the ball of of them unlike gerrard who cant stay upright long enough or even jump to head the ball .

  6. a

    July 18, 2014 at 10:23 am

    Wow this thing with livverpool is becoming a farce, first thompson, then carragher, then no brains owen, now Mr over rated himself brenda

    He chose arsenal because of wenger – everyone knows he is the best at developing talent, liverpool fans think because you have had one good season under podgers he is a better manager than wenger? please look at all the players wenger has developed not just at arsenal

    Plus look at his status – The owners of PSG consulted wenger before they purchased the club, Pep Guardiola did some of his coaching badges at arsenal, Bayern munich officials visited wenger around 7 years back on how best to bring out youth players

    Brendan rodgers doesnt compare – even liverpool admitted they use arsenal’s model of self funding

    Brendan rodgers statement of a “new” a free flowing counter attacking football was chammpioned by wenger in the premier league

    liverpool had five bad seasons never got into the champions league due to bad transfer business and management, wenger had 8 bad years, sold his invincibles and then his future stars ( rvp, song, nasri, fabregas, adebayor etc)paid off a stadium and ……………still qualified for champions league

    You tell me why sanchez chose arsenal over liverpool its nothing to do with locations

    • Gunplay28

      July 18, 2014 at 10:52 am

      Liverpool’s owners, FSG, also visited Arsenal for some advice prior to their takeover. It seems we supplied them with the blu prints on how to run a successful football club.

    • andy

      July 18, 2014 at 12:32 pm

      who would you rater play for ? a half illiterate ape who lies to get his own way or a strait talking man whos word is his bond. and can speak to you in your own language .?

    • John Oats

      July 18, 2014 at 7:20 pm

      Agree. Rodgers is fast becoming a joke manager considering the dumb statements he makes. Given a level playing field, Wenger is the best manager in the Premier League. What other manager (including Ferguson) could have kept a club in the Champions League for 16 years with no money. Chelsea and Man City were no-where till a sugar daddy turned up. Manure spent a lot of money on expensive players over the years, and are heavily in debt. Arsenal are the only club in the Premier League history to be consistent in the Premier League and Champions League. Even the big spenders can’t say that. Arsenal under Wenger are the only club in Premier League history to win the league without buying it (Blackburn, Chelsea and Man City), or spending money on expensive players (Manure). They are the only club to manage their finances correctly, and still be successful and consistent.

  7. James Phillips

    July 18, 2014 at 10:26 am

    He’s not even Uruguay for a start. Although being a Liverpool fan I do like friendly banter with other team fans but your need to mock us and our manager is harsh. I’ll point out how in the last 9/10 years Wenger has bought you….. 1 trophy, and you just about scrape champions league. And it was only last year that he actually learnt how to buy a big player. And just to add to the other comment, Lambert had a way better season then ozil who was mocked for his performances, so wouldn’t say that was the reason. Plus, Rodgers in his second season, got us second in the league by 3 points and automatic champions league. That is a much better prospect then yours. Also Rodgers is one of the better more truthful managers out there. Just concentrate on getting your opinions across without making stupid comments that are false about other teams. Otherwise good article

    • Rolling Stones > the Beatles

      July 18, 2014 at 11:23 am

      How old are you, James? ‘bought’ a trophy in 9/10 years? Really? Check what you posted and then check yourself, son.

      Lambert had a ‘way better season’ than Ozil who was ‘mocked for his performances’? ‘Mocked’ by whom, exactly? The omniscient, ever-knowledgable British, actually, English media? Stop mugging yourself off by regurgitating the vomit of pandits. Don’t expect Ozil to dribble past ten players, tip the ball up in to the air and execute a Cruyff back-heel and score ten goals with that trick; instead, watch his movement throughout the game, and if you do that, my son, you’ll be a man…

      • Gunplay28

        July 18, 2014 at 1:10 pm

        Lol… True story

      • James Phillips

        July 18, 2014 at 5:19 pm

        Oh my apologies for the typo princess. I’m 37 have two kids and have a great love for football. So pipe down kid. Lambert had a great season which led to him getting an England call up. And Rodgers bought him for an impact player not a regular starter. And yes he was mocked by everyone but arsenal. Every one else laughed at him for being dropped to the bench. If you missed that you must be blind. It was histerical when he got dropped. Arsenal fans crack me up. They have for years. I donot expect ozil to do that, but I at least expected him to play how he did at Madrid. He hasn’t it’s quite simple. Was way better at Madrid. At the end of the day good luck to all teams and players this year. And arsenals no trophies and champions league scraping seasons. Love watching your team screw up after thinking your amazing. I’m going to go start an argument with united fans now, at least they have decent comebacks ha

        • Rolling Stones > the Beatles

          July 18, 2014 at 6:06 pm

          I’m older than you and I’ve got three kids, two dogs, a grumpy goldfish, and the neighbour’s tabby who invites itself roumd for dinner causing WWIII. Oh, and the wife who’s wondering why I’m back on the computer again (soz, love).

          Not going to debunk every point of your forensic deconstruction of Ozil’s season for us because it’s clear you can’t see farther than Phil Thompson’s nose, but Ozil’s role in the Madrid team and the players he had alongside him, as well as Moronho’s ‘system’ are all factors which inluenced Ozil’s performances. What I don’t think changed was Ozil’s movement and intelligence, dragging players in to areas filled in quickly by a team-mate; I.e.ccreating space.

          Also, I wasn’t having a pop at your typos (didn’t think there were any), just the notion that we ‘bought’ our FA Cup. We’re not your fellow oil-rich Lancastrians, nor are a friend of dictator’s plaything; we are the Arsenal. Just sayin’.

    • andy

      July 18, 2014 at 12:35 pm

      thats why lamberts soooooo expensive .

  8. nike stanley

    July 18, 2014 at 10:31 am

    rogers should be realistic how can sanchez play with lambert, lalana, suso, and those other kids like herdeson. he choose arsenal because of ozil, carzola, ramsey, podolski. just imagine the class

  9. rahaizad

    July 18, 2014 at 10:37 am

    Whatever we’re smoking here in Emirates, it tastes helluva better than whatever they’re having in Anfield. Hahaha, Brendan is going to be a one season wonder. With champions league commitments this season, Liverpool is really going to struggle.

    • James Phillips

      July 18, 2014 at 10:56 am

      Arsenal fans make me laugh. Embarress yourselves every champions league, embarress yourself with such a lack of trophies and you still think your the best ha. I’m really happy with what Rodgers is doing this window and to be honest, funny thing is sanchez is premier league unproven, he could flop and be mocked just like ozil was. Your surrounded by delusion

      • a

        July 18, 2014 at 12:35 pm

        rodgers second season – second bottles it

        wenger first full season – double

        we dont know how to buy big players – we prefer to make them believe in there ability

        big players at liverpool – downing, carroll,allen aqualani – done very well with them.

      • andy

        July 18, 2014 at 12:39 pm

        at least we make the champions league every single year . why dont you ? to be honest is a strange expresion if your assosiated with brenda .

  10. beep

    July 18, 2014 at 10:47 am

    There is no secret that both clubs had talks with the player and there is no secret that the player preferred living in London.
    The player would never go out and say that the only reason I`m playing for Arsenal is the city. On the other hand is it fully plausible that he have told Liverpool that he turned them down because he would prefer living in London. At the end there are two things that are important for a fotballplayer, money, and when that is secured, trophies.
    I also don`t think any Liverpool fan would say that Brendan is a better coach than Wenger, yet. Time will show and he needs to show himself for years to come to prove his worth, but he have had a good start.

  11. Red

    July 18, 2014 at 10:47 am

    Ha Ha stanley do you have the difficulty of adding the names of Sturridge,Coutinho,Gerrard,Sterling,Ibe and now Markovic e.t.c. What more interesting is that the Summer window is still open.

  12. benchmark

    July 18, 2014 at 10:55 am

    Liverpool fans won’t just stop making me laugh, what makes u think u av abetter squad than Arsenal, the only reason u had a good last season has left u and I’m wondering how u r gonna cope Arsenal’s onslaught next season. Rogers should be sincere 4 once, no way Sanchez would av chosen Liverpool over Arsenal 4 any reason, Arsenal r a whole lot of class above Liverpool.

  13. benchmark

    July 18, 2014 at 11:06 am

    And don’t even 4get that Arsenal beat u twice last season, the 2nd time with a depleted squad which took u out of FA cup running, u pple have shallow memories.

  14. a

    July 18, 2014 at 11:10 am

    liverpool are so bitter

    ozil is a flop – how ? look at his stats – yes he faded bad, buy your so called ” new king kenny suarez” went 13 games without a goal a few years back

    by the way do you still see him as the new king kenny?

    talking about flops are we – aqualani, carroll, downing , henderson ( showed promise but not worth 20 million) and liverpool’s answer to xavi – allen

    I’m not gonna doubt what liverpool have achieved they did a hell of a lot for english football – they also got the english teams banned from europe

    Liverpool are bitter because when they were successful rather than think like a business the success went into boards pockets

    Man utd saw an oppotunity when The EPL was formed and European ban was lifted, liverpool couldnt see that. Man utd, Arsenal, chelsea and Man city have all become more popular as they know football is a business

    We built a stadium with a world class manager who had the picking of all the best teams but he stayed with us. We saw the vision to build it and pay it off. Liverpool as lengendary as anfield is wont progress as that is what is holding them back, regular champions league is needed for the upgrading of anfield – lets see if you can stay

    I had a lot of respect for liverpool, barnes, beardsley , fowler, mcmanaman rush, alderidge etc but now cant stand them.

  15. j

    July 18, 2014 at 11:56 am

    Sigh…, No brendan, the reason that Alexis Sanchez chose Arsenal over liverpool is that in 2014, Arsenal are a bigger, better and stronger club in every tangiable way than liverpool are. When weighed objectively, in every facet of a football club, liverpool simply lag far behind what Arsenal have now become and will become moving into the future.
    Stadium, infrastructure, finance, money, commercial reach and growth, squad, manager and beyond, in all of these factors Arsenal are stronger. Even the great strength that liverpool once had, that being worldwide fanbase, we have caught up and now overtaken.

    I must say that i find the delusions of grandeur emanating out of liverpool to be a little befuddling. Yes, they won a lot of trophies in the 70’s and 80’s, but the way liverpool talk its as if they see themselves on par with real or barca?! Reality, is that they are far far away from being in that league of clubs. No club that has failed to win a league for a quarter of a century can ever legitimately claim such a thing. Liverpool have never even won a premiership for goodness sake! They had a cup of coffee with a title challenge last season before blowing it when all they had to do was remain standing and all of a sudden they think they are some kind of dynasty in the design of Barcelona or something. Its perplexing. And all the sniping and belittling of Arsenal’s achievements in recent years would perhaps be more creditable if we hadn’t continually finished above liverpool in that same time frame. How many times have liverpool finished above arsenal in the last 15 years…, once isnt it?!

    If liverpool and their fans want to be angry with somebody, my suggestion is to direct your anger at a certain luis suarez. He took your support, your money, your time and energy. He took your faith and used it for nothing else but his own personal fulfilment. Your anger shouldnt be directed at Arsenal or Sanchez, quite frankly it just reeks of sulking.

    Arsenal are the bigger club in every way in 2014. We caught you, we surpassed you. Yes I know you won some European cups, so too did Ajax, and I dont see anybody trying to claim that they are a bigger football club than Arsenal in 2014.

    • Gp

      July 18, 2014 at 1:21 pm

      Very well put.

    • a

      July 18, 2014 at 1:23 pm

      excellent

      and yes one does ‘sigh’ when liverpool comment about arsenal

      porto have one the european twice and benfica – none of them claim to be the best ever and forever

      liverpool lack resepct – rodgers comments after beating utd at old trafford- ” we are level above them” i think any football fan bar liverpool will admit utd were dominant for so long and the taking over a teams achievements and dominance doesnt occur after 35 games.

  16. TimsGr8

    July 18, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    wenger is a coach roger is a coach. In the pedigree of coaches Wenger is a lord, elder, mentor, or may be councillor to the Young prospective Roger. Match SAF to Wenger don’t match a kid to Wenger. Iz an insult per say!

  17. Paysal A. Nass

    July 18, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    hahahaha, libafool fans are very funny. Here ix my advise 4 you. U veta starts moarning 4 ur club. D secret of finishing top4 last season is ” suarez ” and he has gone. So nOTIN can prevent you 4rum going back to your top7 dis season, so am saying goodbye to you & ur goingdown club libafOOL

  18. beje

    July 18, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    So stupid excuse that he use. Arsenal have more chance winning trophy after Suarez swap to Barca. Debuchy Sanchez and Schniderlin/Khedira/Bender will insure us a trophy. But we have also Campbell who can terrorise opponent defenders. The odds will be very good at Arsenal this year.

  19. mugudde fahard

    July 19, 2014 at 3:51 am

    looserpool fans should know that they finished 2nd last season because they were just lucky but brenda’s tactics are still infrale

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