Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin agree new Arsenal deals as Sanchez and Ozil contracts draw closer
Gunners hope that the French duo will be followed by the Chilean and German in committing to the club long-term
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ARSENAL have agreed new contracts with two key first team players, but neither is Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil.
French duo Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin have both committed their long-term futures to the club, according to RMC Sport
30-year-old striker Giroud has signed a one-year extension to his current deal, which means he will remain under contract until 2018.
Meanwhile Coquelin, 25, was already contracted until 2019 and his new deal will run until 2021.
Laurent Koscielny is also in advanced negotiations about extending his stay at the Emirates until 2020.
The French defender's partnership with Shkodran Mustafi has been key in turning Arsene Wenger's side into genuine title contenders this season, as they sit just three points behind leaders Chelsea.
Earlier this week, Gunners general secretary David Miles gave a positive, but cautious update on potential new deals for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
Both the Chilean and the German star's contracts run out in 2018 and Arsenal are desperate to tie them to extensions.
And Miles said: “Of course, we know talks are ongoing with certain players and certain contracts.
"At the moment, things are looking pretty good in that way."
Sanchez and Ozil are both believed to be demanding over £300,000 per week to commit to the Gunners.
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If no deal is agreed, Chelsea lead the queue to capitalise on Sanchez's contract situation.
Arsene Wenger claims he will not be held to ransom by either player, whereas Antonio Conte and Roman Abramovich would be willing to meet the Chilean's demands if he decides not to stay at the Emirates.
If Sanchez did move across London, Arsenal fans would feel chilling echoes of Ashley Cole, who made the same switch ten years ago.
Cole moved to Stamford Bridge after being angered that the Gunners offered him just £55,000 per week compared to the Blues' £90,000.
Former Barcelona man Sanchez has been one of Arsenal's standout performers this season, with the highlight of his campaign being a fantastic hat-trick at West Ham in a 5-1 win.
And his agent, Fernando Felicevic, is believed to have teamed up with Ozil's representative, Erkut Sogut, in a bid to secure the best possible deals for the two players, who have netted 22 goals between them this season.
World Cup winner Mesut Ozil played a key role in the Gunners' 3-1 win over Stoke at the weekend as he beautifully headed the ball over Lee Grant.
