We are tight so we didn't want to pay £200k a week last summer so now we have to fork £250k a week for each more than likely. Even when you think about how much they got when we signed them it seems a slightly reduced amount compared to others at their level.

Break the wage structure if needed and move others on, these two a critical and will cost serious money to replace if that is even possible.

If it's 250k just give them the money, it's in-line with what other top players in the league are earning and it's their last big contract, we'll have the power if we want them to sign an extension next time around.

Yep that's it really. We have to pay them in line with current market rate and there is no two ways about it. We have the money. We would've been in a stronger position if we'd started these negotiations earlier. I think doing it with 18months left is clearly risky and allows the media to drive an agenda. It's not the first time this has happened. We should always look to enter into negotiations for contract extensions with our key players at least half way through their current deals. Essentially, if we can't agree terms before the end of the season, selling becomes the only option.

It's a negotiation - you don't get held to ransom and cough up whatever the player asks straight off the bat.
If the club is aware and knows that another club is interested and will pay that for either of them well that does weaken the club's position, but again I'm curious to know who outside of the big payers Madrid and Barcelona who have already rejected them will pay over 200k per week for them?
PSG? City? United? Chelsea?

Sancez turns 28 in a couple of days. If we held firm and allowed him run down his contract he'd be almost 30 when he left. He'd still get a good signing bonus but his stock wont be as high as it is now. He probably wouldn't get an important role in a club bigger than Arsenal. Ozil is already 28 but I don't think his game is as impaired by aging. That said I don't think his stock is as high as Sanchez anyway so I think he'd be in a similar position in 18 months time. We have some leverage here, as do the players. Of course each side will negotiate for the best possible outcome.

Biggest problem for us is that we would do everything possible to cash in before they left.

General wrote:

Selling to City would be good back to the dark days.

Don't mind selling to city.  We're not really title contenders anyways,  at least we get good money there.  

Neither are they and we finished above them last season. Somebody at this club would have to pay with their job if we sell to City.

Agree with general. Selling our best players to our rivals again would be unforgivable.

General wrote:

Neither are they and we finished above them last season. Somebody at this club would have to pay with their job if we sell to City.

neither are they? you think the accountabilities are similar at both clubs? everyone knows we should keep our best players and acquire new ones etc etc etc but that doesn't happen at arsenal...thus, my point. 

I don't mind the negotiations, it's not unexpected that both sides will try and get a good deal. What's annoying and to be fair pretty unusual are Wenger's repeated comments about the negotiations and how the club is bigger than them. Sounds to me like he's publicly trying to pressure them, literally no reason at all for that because the club is sitting on way more money than it can ever burn through

The thing is though, the other top clubs don't seem to struggle to tie down their top players as much as we do. Even fucking Spurs always seem to have their high valued assets on > 2 years contract. And our wage bill is huge in comparison.

Supposedly image rights are included in our wages, at least according to Wenger, while other clubs spread it out. If that's the case then it's even more ridiculous that we can't offer up the money though.

arsedoc md wrote:

General wrote:

Neither are they and we finished above them last season. Somebody at this club would have to pay with their job if we sell to City.

neither are they? you think the accountabilities are similar at both clubs? everyone knows we should keep our best players and acquire new ones etc etc etc but that doesn't happen at arsenal...thus, my point. 

Well we've kept our best players for some time now and are also buying proven quality. It was ok to stomach when we were offloading players a few years ago because we needed the money. It makes absolutely no sense now. We have money and are in direct competition with City. If anything we should be looking to take Aguero off their hands if they are truly after Aubameyang.

Negotiations with Özil started well before the end of last season iirc. I don't get this obsession with 18 months and that the club is being negligent; they have 18 months on their contracts NOW, and we have clearly started negotiations a long time ago.
From the players' perspective I can totally understand why they are stalling. If I were in their shoes, I'd have also definitely waited out the end of the last transfer window, at least, to see where salaries for top players in Europe are heading.

I dont get the whole panic around the issue at all. Its clear that this season was always going to be during which we have to extend them and they have both been very suggestive that they are happy to extend.

Rex wrote:

Negotiations with Özil started well before the end of last season iirc. I don't get this obsession with 18 months and that the club is being negligent; they have 18 months on their contracts NOW, and we have clearly started negotiations a long time ago.
From the players' perspective I can totally understand why they are stalling. If I were in their shoes, I'd have also definitely waited out the end of the last transfer window, at least, to see where salaries for top players in Europe are heading.

Go on tell us how you have inside knowledge about the club and give us an accurate estimate of when these contract negotiations actually started.

Hehe, it doesn't take a genius to watch press conferences. Wenger was asked about Özil's contract before the end of last season, and he said that they were about to start talking to his representatives. Internet is a great thing, my man!

Just use google. There were stories all over that we were negotiating with both at the beginning of the year. The rumours died off at the same time our form in the league did.

Google. I've heard of it, but...