Arsene Wenger has questioned whether Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was tapped up by Liverpool.
The Arsenal manager said on Thursday it would be naive to think his players are not being tapped up before matches and is unsure whether they were on the day of their 4-0 loss to Liverpool last week.
Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Sanchez were among those who featured at Anfield and the former then signed for Liverpool in a £35million move.
Sanchez missed out on his £60m move to Manchester City and is now back at Arsenal following the international break.
‘You are not naive enough to think that will not happen,’ Wenger said. ‘I don’t know (if it happened before the loss to Liverpool). I don’t know.
‘Have they been tapped up? Of course. But on the day of a game? I don’t think so, I hope not. But it’s inevitable.
‘France played against Holland on the last day of the transfer window. Do you really think that not one French player or Dutch player had phone calls in the afternoon about a move or not?
‘I am not naive enough to believe that. That’s why you have to scrap it before the season starts.’
Sanchez’s transfer to City was scuppered as Arsenal missed out on Thomas Lemar, who decided he wanted to stay with Monaco on deadline day.
‘Lemar is now in Monaco and has to focus on Monaco,’ Wenger continued. ‘Sanchez is here and focuses here. Many things happen in the last second, what I regret.
‘That’s why I believe it’s important we close before the championship starts.
‘You sit there before the games and even in players’ minds they have no clarity. Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out?
‘Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out? It’s not the way to work and it’s uncomfortable.
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