Mkhitaryan and Ozil could be sold? – Really?

A report in the Daily Mirror is claiming that Henrik Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil could be sold in the summer transfer window to raise funds for fresh acquisitions.

The report claims that Mkhitaryan salary of £180,000 per week, along with Ozil’s £350,000 per week could be spent better elsewhere and that our finances are strained because of the supposed inflated wage bill.

The Mirror further claims that we will have only a £45 Million transfer budget if we fail to make the Champions League.

Wow, where to start?

Ok, first off, the Mirror appear to have got their salary figures well wrong, TotalSportTek, a website that specialises in wage data has Mkhitaryan on £120k per week and Ozil on £300k a week, that is a cool £110k less than what the Mirror is claiming, surely that pays the wages of a new player.

Then there is the £45 Million transfer budget, I wish the Mirror would get their figures right, is it £45 Million or £40 Million that they claimed on the 4th of February.

So, they get the wages well wrong, they contradict themselves on our transfer budget and of course, they provide no sources whatsoever.

Let’s get some perspective, there will be players leaving, fringe players, players like Mohamed Elneny, Calum Chambers, Shkodran Mustafi and possibly Danny Welbeck and of course, Petr Cech and Aaron Ramsey will be removed from the weekly wage bill as well.

With sales, we could easily have a budget of £100 Million and be able to fund decent wages as well.

We may not be able to compete with Man City but we will be just fine and this sort of article is nothing more than scaremongering riddled with inaccuracies without any perspective or context.

36 Comments

  1. We need to get:

    Nkunku – $25m – CM/Wing
    Tierney – $25m – LB
    Sarr / Pavon – $25/$40m – Wing

    Not sure who to get to play CB and another Box to Box

    1. Nkunku looks promising, but Arsenal shouldn’t spend too much on him coz there are other hot prospects such as Yacine Adli

      Tierney also sounds good, but we still have Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles and Monreal in the left wing

      Sarr couldn’t get past Monreal and Kolasinac when Arsenal played with eleven men. Pavon’s forms are not good in this season and he was lousy in World Cup too

    2. Retiring/Leaving and yearly salary in bracket – Danny(6.5m), Suarez(3.5m), Monreal(3.6m – retain), Jenkinson(2.3m – retain), Lichtsteiner(3.9m), Rambo (6.2m), Cech (5.7m)

      Even if we keep Monreal and Jenkinson at upgraded salaries, its 22.5m per year saved.
      Sell Ozil – 30m (18m)
      Sell Mustafi – 20m (4.6m)

      That is still Mikhi at club to play the number 9 position if needed. 50m from sales and 45m+ from salaries. All of us see the value? Combine that with 60m transfer budget (well, the new kit deal gives extra 30m and C’League money we can spend ahead 30m), we have net 155m available for new players and salaries.
      One top CB – 40m
      One winger – 40m
      One LB – 25m
      One box to box – 25m

      And trust Martinez as second keeper. At least for a year and dont put any outlay on GK position

  2. The Mirror and other papers like to rubbish Arsenal a lot! They’ll probably claim spurs have 200 million to spend while we count the pennies! Arsenal aren’t gonna come out and say what they have to spend and especially not to the daily mirror!

    1. Absolutely right John all I read through the January transfer window is Arsenal is skint, pennyless Arsenal, broke Arsenal blah blah blah… yet no journal wrote anything about spurs who count even buy a ball boy this season. I could remember how much noise buying only Petr Chech why it was deaf silence when spurs broke that record.It is so bad we couldn’t buy any player that January but loan Suarez when Man U, Liverpool and spur didnt and Chelsea did the same. We,fans make it so easy for them to make money put arsenal and sh**t in the same sentence and we rush to buy their paper.???

      1. Haha spurs have a 1 billion pound stadium if anyone is gonna be skint, it’s them! Media, pundits, journos are sticking the knife in because they all predicted we would be in a complete mess this season! It’s killing them that we’re still in the mix for top 3 so they’re printing rubbish stories to keep their crappy newspaper selling! Alex Ferguson always told his players don’t read newspapers Unai Emery should do the same! Work hard, keep winning and finish 3rd best way to shut the critics up ?

    2. Hasn’t spurs make them to as well by not purchasing any player this season. Why their transfer inability reported in this same narrative as ours. They broke our record of buying only one player by not buying all. Isn’t that something to gather some negative report

    3. Not nice to tell someone to kill themselves.
      I have had some heated debates with people on here yet I have not told people to commit suicide.

      I’m all for insulting Chavski but when you need to curse in the name, that is childish, that is someone lacking any kind of creativity.

      Leo? More like a puddy tat.

  3. Forget the inaccuracies for a second and terrible reporting, on reflection it could be plausible, we all feel from the outside looking in that Ozil and some extent Mhiki do not fit the mold of Emery’s style and the high wages.

    Personally I would like to Keep both and build on and improve the squad. This would allow for alternative strategies, tactics, types of players to counter the type of opponent we are facing like Emery likes to do.

    The financial position of the club worries me, at this point in time in the clubs lifespan we should be very comfortable from the story we got sold opening the new stadium 13 years ago.

    In an ideal world we should be able to build a squad on par with Man City to really compete, to have two very good players that deliver in each position.

    1. Arsenal cannot force Ozil and Mkhitaryan to go anywhere since they have big and long-term contracts. I believe both of them should look for another team that can accommodate their playing styles though

      If they leave, Arsenal could have enough money to buy Pepe/ Zaha

      1. It looks like Emery has figured away how to include them in his long term strategy but if they are being pushed out their comfort zone and are unhappy it’s plausable.

        I personally think Ozil is happy and the stories of unrest where hyperbole early in the season.

  4. Again, people still assuming that this £45m being banded around is before all of our player sales…

      1. Ozil, Elneny, Mustafi all with one broom, one stroke.It may seem difficult, but not impossible.
        Would still retain Mikhi, Jenks, Chambers as squad players, Monreal maybe.
        Release Ramsey (bad decision), Lich, Chek, Kos (maybe), retain Danny on at par wage.
        Transfer Ospina, Mat Macey.

        1. That’s 8 players including Ramsey and the maybe’s mentioned, that dessimates the squad, that’s a lot of players.

          I don’t see Ozil going (I could be wrong),

          I could see Elneny going due to lack of playing time with Guendouzi and Torerria In front of him.

          As much as Mustafi has a mistake in him every game I don’t see him going.

          Mhiki, Jenks (as shown yesterday) and chambers are good squad players. Monreal is reliable and another good squad player.

          As much as Ramsey divides opinion I have always admired his skill right from the first game I saw him play when him and Willshere, came into the team (jack was a better player) big lose back then a good squad player, in this team one of the better players.

          Kos is the boss, great to have to shore up the back line (think kompany) he might not be able to play all the games but he is a great defender.

          Lich can go and Cech is leaving.

          So out of the 8 I would say 4 could go. That’s a bit more manageable, just even in a practical sense, getting 2,3 deals done is more realistic than getting 5,6,7 done especially with the budget reported.

          1. Why don’t you see Mustafi going?
            He is a player we can cash in on and it does look like Arsenal are not happy with the CB situation, why not cash in on him and upgrade?

            If we did, then we would have Sokratis and that new CB for the right CB role, this is enough for the season when we add in our kids who don’t need to be registered.

            This means we could cash in on Chambers, those two sales would generate funds to ease the “especially with the budget reported.” issue.

    1. David Ornstein has reported that Arsenal could have up to as much as £100 million, this figure will include wages, depending on the comp we are in.

      No UCL football and we can see how that removes a large chunk.

      “UEFA Champions League
      Share for 12 clubs participating in UEFA Champions League play-offs
      A total of €30m will be paid out to clubs involved in the UEFA Champions League play-offs: clubs that are eliminated will each receive a fixed payment of €5m. The winners of the play-offs will not receive any specific payment for this round but will get payments for participating in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

      Share for clubs competing in UEFA Champions League (group stage onwards)
      Forecast amounts (total €1.95bn)
      The net revenue available to participating clubs will be divided into four different pillars:
      • 25% will be allocated to the starting fees (€488m).
      • 30% will be allocated to the performance-related fixed amounts (€585m).
      • 30% will be distributed on the basis of ten-year performance-based coefficient rankings (€585m).
      • 15% will be allocated to the variable amounts (market pool) (€292m).

      Starting fees (€488m)
      Each of the 32 clubs that qualify for the group stage can expect to receive a group stage allocation of €15.25m.

      Fixed amounts (€585m)
      Group stage performance bonuses will be paid for each match: €2.7m per win and €900,000 per draw. Undistributed amounts (€900,000 per draw) will be pooled and redistributed among the clubs playing in the group stage in amounts proportionate to their number of wins.

      Clubs that qualify for the knockout stage can expect to receive the following amounts:
      • qualification for the round of 16: €9.5m per club
      • qualification for the quarter-finals: €10.5m per club
      • qualification for the semi-finals: €12m per club
      • qualification for the final: €15m per club
      • The UEFA Champions League winners can expect to pick up an additional €4m.
      • The two clubs that qualify for the 2018 UEFA Super Cup can each expect to receive €3.5m, with the winners collecting an additional €1m.”

      Do the maths, how much would Arsenal get for missing out on UCL.

  5. This was the newspaper, under Piers Morgan no less, that published photographs of British troops supposedly torturing prisoners.
    It later turned out that they were forgeries and good old Piers was forced to resign.

    It seems that, once again, they are making up stories just to get reactions.

    I still believe that only the club, player, his spokesman and the taxman know exactly what any player earns, so this is all BS in my opinion.

    Just the other day they stated that spuds new ground put the Emirates in the shade, hoping our fanbase would bite.
    For £1 billion pounds, a great shadow would be cast over north london if you laid the money out from Tottering high street to avenall road!!!

    I’m happy to let UE and the players do their talking on the pitch, CL qualification is within our grasp once again, let’s see what John Cross says about that when we achieve it.

    1. That’s right Ken,

      There maybe an ounce of truth somewhere, in the sense that there maybe a conversation had, I have loads of conversations about potential projects, collaborations doesn’t mean they will happen.

      I actually don’t know how main stream journalism has got so bad the whole industry is a ‘hack’ no source, no research, no background checking just pure speculation, might as well call every news outlet hello magazine.

  6. I’m just waiting for the perennial Benzema rumour. I’ve always loved that rumour, and I really missed it in January. Always make me chuckle.

      1. TMJW and NMC, he’s turned us down so many times, why would we want him now he’s in his dotage anyway?

        This is The Arsenal, not a retirement home for players who thought they were too good to join us in the first place.

        Next thing will be Suarez wanting to come from Barcelona to his “dream” move at The Emirates!!!

        1. I think they was mocking the laziness of the reporters for that story over actually wanting him at Arsenal.

          As for the Suarez, that was what happened! Mistakes happen though, we ended up loaning the younger one… Even after Arsenal bought biter a new zimmerframe to chase after lunch… Players, sorry.

          😛

          1. That’s right Mid, found it funny after the 10th year that someone was getting paid to report that rumour.

  7. finally some common sense!nobody knows exactly how much our budget will be,like you said there are many factors to take into account(players being sold,cl qualification…)that,s why I take no notice,anyway I,d like to see both players leave,we need new,fresh,young,hungry players which will fit into the manager philosophy.

    1. One article says he’ll be fine, the next says he’s a doubt… so who knows! Lets hope he’ll be alright… would love to see a screamer against Newcastle just like the one he scored last night!

  8. Whilst fully accepting the likelihood that this ” story ” is just a journo flying his kite for the umpteenth time and HOPING to find a puff of wind to make it take off, I DO think, based on no more than gut instinct and hopefully a long life experienced brain that tells me quite often what those in charge would LIKE to do, were it possible, that Arsenal would love to get OZIL AND MKHI off the wage bill and uses theweekly outgoings saved for fresher blood. That seems to me to accord with what has been happening this season with both playerts often overlooked, thouhh far less so VERY recently. I see the future as being the art of the possible versus the percentage chance of not being able to achieve what the regime would like to happen. As I said just yesterday to Ken 1945, I now see Ozil being here next season as about 50/50 but Mkhi as a mere 10-15% chance of staying. TO BE CLEAR, IF Ozil starts playing at or near his best REGULARLY, I would love him to stay. Not otherwise though. Whatever happens though, it is quite clear the club are trying to remedy the many wage/ contract mistakes made in the last few years. About time too!

    1. We have always had an eye on the books, in theory that’s what the old wage structure tried to keep in check, unfortunately the game moved on to be able to maintain a flatter wage structure and wages started creeping up.

      In an ideal world Ozil, Mhki would perform at the level that they can achieve and Internally Arsenal can find away to be able to pay the players (unfortunately) the going rate.

  9. I do recall reading about Mkhi and Auba wage being heavily laden with bonuses, while TotalSportek report on the base wage, they do not include bonuses.

    I recall reading that Agent Raiola got Mkhi something like £8.5 million in bonuses for signing for us, if we spread this over the length of the contract (3.5 years) then it’ll be something like £45k a week.

    Lazy journalism will just combine his sign on fee to his wage for the higher number and sensationalism, £120k plus the £45k is £165k.

    I do remember reading that Mkhi also has a clause which doubles his wage if we give him an extension.

    I can’t recall if Mkhi has play bonuses, does he get a bonus each time he plays? If he does and we can see how the weekly wage is bumped up to £180k for the headline.

    While I am talking about bonuses… I’ll just list some of Aubas rumored bonuses:
    “Aubameyang’s list of extras included a £15.15m loyalty bonus, split into four instalments, to be paid before the end of his contract in 2021, £300,000 for 25 goals and assists in a season (he has 13 so far) and £50,000 for every Premier League match he starts which Arsenal win. They have managed five since his arrival, earning him an extra £250,000.

    However, perhaps the most remarkable detail in Aubameyang’s Arsenal deal relates to his ‘Champions League bonus’ of £2.26m — which the striker will receive even though Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.”

    I can’t say it is real or true but it was reported, I dare not break Auba wage down to try and get an average wage over his basic wage with those figures, I bet it would make him our highest earner in reality.

    1. Midkemma, all this goes back to the debate you and John Fox were having regarding transparency on individuals earnings.

      There are only four entities that actually do/should know player, his agent, club and taxman.

      All these “reports” mean absolutely nothing and I can now imagine fans taking on board your thought about Aba’s salary and begin hounding him out because of it.

      Your CL breakdown is a factual report however and it makes me so annoyed to think that we had this kind of money (relative to each year of course) over a twenty year period, with no idea where it has gone.

      With a billion pound stadium to pay for, the spuds must be dreading missing out on this bonanza of CL money,
      If we do qualify, it could take away the obsession of what players earn, which needs to happen anyway if we want to attract the very best to our club.

      Great ferreting out of the facts Midkemma, it’s amazing what’s on offer isn’t it?
      I did a similar one for the fa cup and the winner of that stands to earns £33,000,000, another relative £100,000,000 that went into our coffers and disappeared.
      Add top four finishing monies, TV monies, advertising monies and match day receipts and it becomes ridiculous to think we can’t compete with the other top five clubs on transfers and salaries…. in my opinion anyway.

      1. “All these “reports” mean absolutely nothing and I can now imagine fans taking on board your thought about Aba’s salary and begin hounding him out because of it.”

        I feel it can work both ways. We see a big player on a low wage and praise him (low relative to their contribution), the reported wage is just a report and so why not include the whole spectrum in the consideration?

        If things were transparent then we would know the truth over biased support of a report that fits a theme.

        Auba is a good example as he is a player who is producing for us, he is earning those reported bonuses over being given it no matter what, us fans can back the concept of being rewarded for doing well as we want Arsenal to do well 🙂

        Nice point about the FA Cup, I totally forgot about that and domestic bonuses that Arsenal get for how well we do, I wouldn’t put it past Arsenal to give players bonuses for winning titles either.

        If we had transparency then us fans could see how our support is being spent, we could back it or protest if we knew the truth, instead we can hound players like Ozil for having a high basic wage… according to reports 😛

        1. But these reports are just that Midkemma, reports…or guesswork could be another word to use.

          “according to reports” covers a multitude of sins, along with the other great phrase “reliable unnamed sources”, but there are no actual facts to support the claims made are there?
          Yet as supporters, we read, digest and believe the things we want to believe, because we want it to be so.

          The problem, as I see it, is that we have no rights whatsoever with regards to kronkies club, it’s employees and the money generated by its results do we?

          Quantic Dream and I have debated long and hard regarding the validity of reports that have no idea what the small print might/might not include.
          He advocates an average salary for discussing Ozil’s salary, but that isn’t good enough if one is using that persons salary to crucify him is it?
          Not in my opinion anyway.

          AW’s reported £9,000,000 a year salary MIGHT have included a clause that he had to win the PL to get that and if he didn’t it would drop to £5,000,000, then every position below first saw another £1,000,000 taken off, which means he actually paid kronkie £1,000,000 in his last season…who really knows? Only the four entities already mentioned in my previous post.
          But if I mention “reliable sources” and “according to reorts” it actually has a ring of truth inserted into the absurd example.

          So, if we aren’t able to get the definitive details,(which we can’t), what’s the point of discussing a hypothetical figure?
          The same goes for wanting tranparency, if the people involved don’t want to, need to, or are required to, it’s all a waste of time….unlike your dissecting of the CL payout and why we need to be in it.

  10. Say we get top 4 and/ or win Europa.. regardless of wot ever extra income and estimated transfer budget we have come the summer.. do u think the board will go oh there’s the extra spend it all on players? No way!! This is the same owner that collected all this “extra income” for 20 odd years under Wenger and has always stuck to his tight ass way and bottling big decisions.. relying on all these muppets we call our board to run the club “within our means” remember wr had the stadium dept for 10 odd years.. at one point we had over 160m in cash reserves but apparently 80% is spoken for.. installments etc.. now we will suffer Kroenkes buy out dept for next 10 years!!

    I hope I’m proved wrong!! but finish top 4 1st which is in our own hands.. so let’s all get behind the team and leave all the money side till the summer

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