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One of the biggest and most successful clubs in the Premier League, Arsenal are currently a side in flux. Despite some encouraging results lately, their 2019-20 campaign will likely be seen as a disappointing one.
They have a new, young manager in the form of Mikel Arteta and plenty of burgeoning talent. And the Gunners will be hoping to break back into title contention in the 2020-21 season. But do to so will probably require a lot of work on their squad.
Some of Arsenal’s highest-paid players are also ones who are arguably surplus to requirements, while other key men have contracts due to expire soon.
Here, we take a look at the wages of Arsenal’s current first-team squad for the 2019-20 campaign.
Note: all figures taken from Spotrac.com. For the purposes of this article, figures for Gabriel Martinelli, Kieran Tierney, Eddie Nketiah, and Reiss Nelson were unavailable.
#20 Emiliano Martinez (Goalkeeper) - £20,000 per week
Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez has been called into action in recent weeks due to an injury to #1 Bernd Leno. And the Argentine has been highly impressive.
His saves in Arsenal’s recent victory over Liverpool kept the Gunners in the game. And he also made one of the stops of the season from Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies in his previous match. With his £20k-per-week deal due to expire in 2022, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arsenal look to ink the goalkeeper to a new one in the near future.
#19 Konstantinos Mavropanos (Defender) - £25,000 per week
Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos moved to Arsenal in 2018 but has not yet made his mark. The 22-year old has made just eight appearances for the Gunners since his move and has spent the majority of the current campaign on loan at German side Nurnberg.
It has now been reported that Mavropanos has signed an extension to his £25k-per-week deal with Arsenal – but he won’t be at the Emirates next season. Instead, he’ll be heading to Bundesliga side Stuttgart in another loan move to gain more experience.
#18 Rob Holding (Defender) - £25,000 per week
24-year old Rob Holding has shown flashes of tremendous potential since moving to Arsenal in 2016. However, the former Bolton Wanderers defender has also been held back by injuries, most notably a ruptured ACL suffered in late 2018.
Holding has made just 14 appearances during the current campaign but with Arsenal’s more senior defenders struggling for form, his opportunity to star could come in the 2020-21 season. His best years are still likely ahead of him – meaning he could be the lynchpin of Arsenal’s defence for a while.
Also Read: All Premier League winners by year
#17 Bukayo Saka (Defender/Winger) - £30,000 per week
18-year-old Bukayo Saka has undoubtedly been the breakout star of Arsenal’s 2019-20 campaign. Able to play as both a winger or at left-back, Saka has quickly become a key man at the Emirates. He’s made 37 appearances, scoring four goals and registering 11 assists.
Most importantly for Arsenal, Saka has also recently inked a new deal at the Emirates. The contract has been reported as being worth around £30k per week and runs until 2024. While it doesn’t make the youngster one of Arsenal’s highest-paid players, it gives him the chance to develop into a genuine superstar at the club.
#16 Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Midfielder) – £35,000 per week
The versatile Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been at Arsenal since he was six years old. And the 22-year old has been part of the first-team squad for some time now. However, despite making 29 appearances this season, there have been recent suggestions that his time at the Emirates could be coming to an end.
It’s been reported that Maitland-Niles senses that boss Mikel Arteta doesn’t fully trust him. And so the former England U-20 international may seek a transfer in order to gain more first-team football. Quite where he’ll head is unknown right now, but his relatively low wages - £35k per week – shouldn’t be a stumbling block for a potential suitor.
#15 Matteo Guendouzi (Midfielder) - £40,000
Despite having a breakout season in 2018-19, French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi could be living on borrowed time at the Emirates. The 21-year old has made 34 appearances for Arsenal this season but has recently been removed from the club’s first-team squad by boss Mikel Arteta due to a perceived attitude problem.
Guendouzi has now been tipped to leave the Emirates this summer, and he likely won’t have to struggle to find a potential destination. Despite his recent issues, the Frenchman has a huge amount of talent. And it may just be a case of him finding a club that can help him unleash it.
Also Read: All Premier League top scorers by season
#14 Calum Chambers (Defender) - £50,000 per week
Signed by Arsenal as a teenager back in 2014, it’s probably fair to say that Calum Chambers has not yet reached his potential. The Southampton youth academy product made 58 appearances in his first two seasons at the club, but then spent the following two seasons on loan at Middlesbrough and Fulham.
The current campaign saw him back at the Emirates, and despite impressing in his 18 appearances, his career has since been derailed. A torn ACL landed him on the shelf in December 2019, and it’s unknown when he will be ready to return. The early part of the 2020-21 season seems likely. And Chambers will be looking to resurrect his Arsenal career under new boss Mikel Arteta.
#13 Dani Ceballos (Midfielder) - £51,923 per week
The future of Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos is a question mark right now. The 23-year old is on loan at Arsenal from Real Madrid, with a caveat of the deal being that the Gunners are paying his £51k-per-week wages.
However, after making 33 appearances this season and growing in prominence since the arrival of Mikel Arteta, it’s likely that Arsenal will want to make the deal a permanent one.
Current reports suggest that the Spaniard will be available for just £23m. This sounds like a bargain for a player with a phenomenal range of passing and an ability to control the game. Whether Arsenal can edge out any competitors for his signature remains to be seen.
#12 Lucas Torreira (Midfielder) - £75,000 per week
Signed by Arsenal in the summer of 2018, Uruguay’s Lucas Torreira was brought to the Emirates to provide some much-needed bite to the Gunners’ midfield. However, after an impressive debut season at the club, the midfielder has struggled for first-team minutes under Mikel Arteta.
A strong performance in the Gunners’ recent 2-1 victory over Liverpool – Torreira’s first start since the Premier League’s June return – may help his cause. With a £75k-per-week contract running until 2023, Torreira has plenty of time to make his mark at the Emirates yet.
With Matteo Guendouzi looking likely to depart the club, the Uruguayan will likely have the chance to make Arsenal’s midfield enforcer role his own when the 2020-21 campaign begins.
#11 Shkodran Mustafi (Defender) - £90,000 per week
Signed by Arsene Wenger for a huge fee of around £35m in the summer of 2016, Shkodran Mustafi has come under plenty of criticism during his time at Arsenal. The German defender has become renowned for making gaffes leading to goals conceded. Mustafi has found himself in and out of Arsenal’s first team in recent months.
How much longer Mustafi will remain at the Emirates is a question mark. His current £90k-per-week deal is due to expire in the summer of 2021 and it’s hard to imagine the club handing him a new one. But with no potential suitors being reported as of late, he appears likely to be an Arsenal player in the 2020-21 season.
#10 Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Defender) - £92,000 per week
Greek international Sokratis was bought to Arsenal to be the man to shore up their leaky defence. However, since his arrival in 2018, that hasn’t really been the case. Sokratis has made 68 appearances for Arsenal, scoring six goals, but the Gunners’ defence has remained as questionable as ever.
Since the Premier League restarted, the Greek defender has not made a first-team appearance for Arsenal due to injury. And most recently, it’s been reported that Bundesliga side Stuttgart have expressed an interest in signing him. However, the same report suggests that his £92k-per-week wages may be a stumbling block – and so he may remain at the Emirates until his deal expires in 2021.
#9 Granit Xhaka (Midfielder) - £100,000 per week
2019-20 has been an up-and-down campaign at Arsenal for Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka. Stripped of the club’s captaincy in October after an angry clash with his own fans, it seemed that his time at the Emirates could be coming to an end. But since that incident, he’s knuckled down and made his way firmly back into the club’s first-team plans.
Practically an ever-present for Mikel Arteta since the restarting of the Premier League season in June, Xhaka has been one of Arsenal’s best performers. At 27 years old he’s probably in his prime right now and with a lot of technical ability, still has a lot to offer to the Gunners. His current £100k-per-week deal runs until 2023, meaning that he should be a first-team staple for years to come.
#8 Bernd Leno (Goalkeeper) - £100,000 per week
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno was brought to Arsenal in the summer of 2018 as the long-term replacement for veteran Petr Cech. And since then, he’s developed into one of the Premier League’s strongest keepers. Leno has made 113 saves in the current season and kept eight clean sheets despite a questionable defence in front of him.
However, most recently, the German has been sidelined with a serious knee injury suffered in Arsenal’s loss to Brighton. With the impressive form of his replacement Emiliano Martinez, Leno could well have a battle on his hands to reclaim his spot in the Gunners’ first XI going into the 2020-21 campaign.
#7 Sead Kolasinac (Defender) - £100,000 per week
Like most of Arsenal’s defenders, Sead Kolasinac has had an up-and-down 2019-20 campaign. The Bosnian international started under unfortunate circumstances as he was the victim of an attempted carjacking. And he’s since gone onto make 28 appearances with massively varied results.
At times, Kolasinac has been outstanding – he was named Man of the Match in the Gunners’ recent victory over Wolves. But at other times he’s been infuriating, as he showed when his errant pass led to a goal conceded against Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham.
Kolasinac clearly has talent but unless he can find more consistency in his game in 2020-21, his time at the Emirates could be limited. His current £100k-per-week contract reportedly expires in 2022.
#6 Hector Bellerin (Defender) - £110,000 per week
Considering he broke onto the scene in the 2014-15 season, it’s hard to believe that Hector Bellerin is still only 25 years old. The Spaniard has been one of Arsenal’s outstanding performers in the years that have followed and was even named in the PFA’s Team of the Year in the 2015-16 campaign.
However, he’s found things a little more difficult recently. Bellerin was sidelined with a serious knee injury in January 2019 and spent months on the shelf. Although he returned in September 2019, the Gunners haven’t really seen the best of him since.
With his form slowly beginning to improve in recent weeks though, it appears likely that he’ll be a key player for Mikel Arteta in the 2020-21 campaign.
#5 David Luiz (Defender) - £125,673 per week
One of Arsenal’s most controversial signings in recent times, Brazilian defender David Luiz was brought to the Emirates from Chelsea in the summer of 2019. The 33-year old was supposed to help to shore up the Gunners’ defence. But instead, he’s made a number of costly mistakes leading to goals.
In Arsenal’s recent loss to Manchester City, for instance, Luiz became the first player to receive a red card, commit a foul leading to a penalty, and commit an error leading to a goal in a Premier League match for five years.
However, rather than allow him to depart the Emirates at the end of his contract this summer, Luiz has instead been signed to a one-year extension with the club. As one of Arsenal’s highest-paid players on over £125k per week, Gunners fans will be hoping his performances improve in 2020-21.
#4 Nicolas Pepe (Winger) - £140,000 per week
Arsenal’s record signing, Nicolas Pepe cost a massive £72m in the summer of 2019 when the club signed him from French side Lille. And while the Ivorian international has not yet justified that huge transfer fee, he’s shown enough flashes of his ability to suggest that he may well do in the future.
A dangerous dribbler who also possesses a wicked shot – particularly from dead-ball situations – Pepe has made 38 appearances this season. He's scored eight goals and registered eight assists. He’s also been named as Man of the Match by WhoScored.com on seven occasions.
At 25 years old, it’s safe to say that the best is yet to come from Pepe. And assuming Mikel Arteta looks to develop him, he could be a key man for the Gunners in the 2020-21 campaign. If that’s the case, then he may finally justify his transfer fee – as well as his £140k-per-week wages.
#3 Alexandre Lacazette (Striker) - £182,063 per week
French striker Alexandre Lacazette was signed in the summer of 2017 for a club-record €53m from Lyon. However, his arrival was quickly overshadowed just months later by Arsenal’s acquisition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He's performed well since then and was named the club’s Player of the Season in 2018-19. But he’s also found himself in and out of the Gunners’ first team.
Lacazette has scored 48 goals in 123 appearances for Arsenal to date. For a while, it appeared that he was looking set to leave the club this summer. However, his recent performances – two goals in as many games – may convince Mikel Arteta to change his mind.
At 29 years old, Lacazette still has plenty to offer for the Gunners. Although the fact that his current deal expires in 2022 may make them consider cashing in on him while they still can.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Forward) - £200,000 per week
Despite earning a hefty £200k per week, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at the Emirates is under question right now. The Gabon international’s current contract expires in the summer of 2022. And Arsenal are desperately attempting to ensure he signs another one that will keep him at the club for much longer.
It’s easy to see why, too. Since signing him for around £56m at the start of 2018, he’s been an absolute revelation. Despite not always being deployed as a pure striker, his goalscoring record for the Gunners has been phenomenal. He’s made 105 appearances and has scored 64 goals, winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot in the 2018-19 season with 22 goals.
Despite turning 31 years old last month, Aubameyang has shown no signs of slowing down. And if Arsenal can indeed ink him to a new contract – even if they have to improve his current £200k-per-week deal – it’ll be well worth it.
#1 Mesut Ozil (Midfielder) - £350,000 per week
Not only is German international Mesut Ozil Arsenal’s highest-paid player, but he’s also one of the most highly paid players in the entire Premier League. Ozil makes more per week than the likes of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Paul Pogba.
Unfortunately, it’d probably be tricky to find a Gunners fan who believes that Ozil is worth the money. When the 31-year old was signed from Real Madrid back in 2013, he was seen as a real statement signing. The kind of player that could take Arsenal back to the top of the game.
That simply hasn’t happened, though. While Ozil has made over 250 appearances for the Gunners and scored 44 goals – winning three FA Cups along the way – his influence has waned dramatically in recent years. Quite why Arsenal were willing to ink him to such a hefty new contract in 2018 remains somewhat of a mystery.
With his current deal running until 2021, there’s every chance that Arsenal simply allow him to leave the club for free once it expires. It’s unlikely that another side would be willing to match £350k per week. But given he hasn’t played a single minute since the Premier League’s June restart, it seems his Arsenal career is dead in the water.
