Pires: Arsenal need star pair to stay

Arsenal great Robert Pires hopes star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil re-sign with the Premier League giants.

Sanchez and Ozil are out of contract in June next year, leading to speculation over both of their futures.

Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League in 2016-17, with Sanchez (24 league goals and 10 assists) and to a lesser extent Ozil (eight goals and nine assists) starring.

Pires, who won two league titles with the club, wants Arsene Wenger to spend big in the off-season, but he said retaining Sanchez and Ozil was also crucial.

"I hope and wish they extend their contracts because they are both very important players for stability and the quality of the team," Pires told Sky Sports.

"We need warriors like Sanchez and we need Ozil.

"I don't know what will happen by the end of the transfer window but I know Arsene Wenger has a lot of work to do this summer."