Arsenal will make one last attempt to tie down contract rebels Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil – by offering them a combined £30million per year wage packet.
Wenger now hopes that the FA Cup triumph and the club’s intent to splurge huge cash in the transfer market will convince the star duo to stay put at the North London club.
The Gunners will now offer Sanchez a new deal – a two-year extension and a wage packet of £275,000-a-week to keep him at the club until 2020.
The club bosses are desperate to tie down Ozil and have already offered him a wage packet of £280,000-a-week but the German superstar had stalled negotiations as his representatives are forcing for around £350,000-a-week.
The contract situations of the Gunners duo will be discussed in detail at Arsenal’s board meeting on Tuesday when they will also take the final call on Arsene Wenger’s future at the club with a new two-year deal on the table for the Frenchman.
FootTheBall sources also revealed that they will also decide whether to let the star duo enter the final year of their current contracts or to sell them this summer – if Ozil and Sanchez refuse to sign a new deal.
Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Juventus are all desperate to rope in the services of the Chilean – with the Bundesliga champions having already made a strong effort to lure him away.
Foottheball sources also reveal that Sanchez wants to stay in the Premier League and Manchester City are in pole position to rope him in.
Man City are confident that a £50m offer would be enough to tempt the Gunners and pundits believe that if the Chilean wants to move away then it would be difficult for Arsenal to tie him down.
However, there has not been the same level of interest in Ozil and the Gunners hierarchy do not want the star duo to run down their contracts and leave for free.
Their current contracts with Arsenal are set to expire in 2018 and the Gunners hierarchy are now ready to take a final call.
The Gunners expect to decide upon Wenger’s future by Wednesday but sources reveal that the board is ready to back the Frenchman in the transfer window and on contracts.
They still expect to tie down Ozil and Sanchez, as the star duo like London and the money they will pocket at Arsenal is expected to be much higher than what they will earn in Germany.
The Gunners also expect a lot of changes in the squad this summer with David Ospina, Kieran Gibbs, Joel Campbell, Wojciech Szczesny and Jack Wilshere all set to leave.
They have already agreed a deal for Schalke’s Sead Kolasinac on a free transfer and are also trying to land AC Milan’s Colombian striker Carlos Bacca as they search the market for a new striker and wide players.
Wenger has also identified Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez and Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as he looks forward to bolster his squad – if he stays next season.
