Arsenal have reportedly made a massive breakthrough in their contract talks with Mesut Ozil by getting the German to agree to a £280,000-a-week deal.
According to a report by The Sun, Mesut Ozil is likely to continue with Arsenal next season despite exit speculation as the Gunners have offered him a new £280,000-a-week deal. It is believed that Ozil demanded £350,000 a week but it now looks like he is ready to settle with this deal since it will make him the club’s top earner.
He is currently on the club’s tour of Australia and China and has only a year left on his contract. But, Arsenal are still confident that he will commit his future to them before the next season begins.
The German playmaker has been a key figure in manager Arsene Wenger’s first-team squad ever since Arsenal shelled out a record sum of £42.5 million to sign him from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2013. He has played four seasons with the Gunners so far and has played an instrumental role in Arsenal’s fortunes.
In the last campaign, however, Ozil endured a dip in form for major parts of the initial season before a late surge in performance saw him end the season with 12 goals and 14 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal.
Despite the initial hiccup, Ozil will always be a vital component in Wenger’s first-team plans at the Emirates since his creativity and vision is unparalleled within the squad at Emiratess. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Arsenal have been fighting tooth and nail in their attempt to retain him and it looks like their efforts are likely to pay off now.
The North London club faced a rather unpleasant season last term and will be desperate to cling on to their superstar performers. Wenger currently has his plate full since he is also trying to convince Chilean super striker Alexis Sanchez to hopefully follow in Ozil’s footsteps.
Unlike previous transfer windows, Arsenal have started the summer on the right track by snapping up Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon. However, Lacazette on his own might not be able to reach his potential without the support of Ozil and perhaps even Sanchez.
Hence, if Wenger manages to convince Sanchez to stay as well, the Gunners will be stepping into the upcoming season with enough confidence to make up for the last campaign.
