The loss of Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer to Juventus this summer has cost us a small fortune in terms of a transfer fee and while it is beyond frustrating to lose a high-quality player for nothing it may well end up being a blessing in disguise.
The loss of the Welsh wizard has woken the club up to the deficiency in how it handles contracts and has forced them into enacting a new policy to avoid a repeat in the future.
Rather than allow players to reach the final year of a contract and put the club in a situation whereby they can be blackmailed in to agreeing to a huge pay rise as was the case with Mesut Ozil or end up having to sell a player for less than his true valuation as happened with Alexis Sanchez, they are now going to offer new contracts up to two years before they expire thus putting us in a position where we can sell a player for his true worth or tie him down to a long term deal.
That is what is happening now with our two best players Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Aubameyang’s contract expires in two years time and he will be offered a significant pay rise taking his weekly wages to £250,000 per week, a weekly increase of £60,000 on a new four-year deal.
Lacazette’s contract expires in three years, however, the hierarchy is keen to put him on the same level as Aubameyang and will offer him a similar wage.
Doing this means that there will be no jealousy or feeling undervalued as was the case with Ramsey and will maintain harmony with the top level players.
This creates stability and provides a foundation in which we can build the team around our best players, it also sets the standard upper wage limit for any new high profile signings.
Of course, Mesut Ozil remains on £350,000 per week but there is nothing the club can do about his status but it is an error they are unlikey to repeat in the future.