Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has urged the Gunners to sell Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in January to recoup some money as they would be available to move out of the club in the summer. The Frenchman believes that if they do not sign new deals, Arsenal would be better off getting something out of both of them to mollify the punishment they have brought upon themselves.

This is contrary to claims by manager Arsene Wenger, who has insisted on numerous occasions that the duo won't be sold on the cheap during the January transfer window amid continued interest in the Chile international from Manchester City.

Their stance is likely to be strengthened further after the 29-year-old put in a match winning performance against Crystal Palace to earn the Gunners three crucial points. Arsenal will be hoping that they can convince the duo to put pen to paper if they secure Champions League football, something they missed out on last season.

Wenger has previously confirmed that he expects to be busy in the January window with incomings and outgoings all on the cards should the right offer be met. The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Thomas Lemar in the summer and were primed to renew their interest in January but have been asked to hold off their interest as Monaco are in no mood to sell.

Meanwhile, Henry thinks that the club will be the losers in every way if they allow Sanchez and Ozil to leave for nothing. Instead, they should be looking to minimise their losses going forward, he added.

"We are talking about something they created themselves. You are going to miss Sanchez if he leaves and you are going to miss Ozil, because they are quality players," Henry told Sky Sports, as quoted by the Sun.

"Now, are you not going to get any money for them either? If something is coming now, you have to at least get some money, because you are going to lose them anyway at the end.

"They haven't signed new contracts yet, that is something we are sure about. So you are not going to get money for them if they leave at the end of the season. So it's a double punishment."

Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil will enter the final six-months of his deal with Arsenal at the end of December Getty