South African even scooped £1m bonus but now must persuade boss Arsene Wenger and up to THIRTEEN players to commit
THERE were more than a few eyebrows raised when Arsenal’s new accounts revealed boss Ivan Gazidis pocketed £2.648million last year.
That eye-watering figure makes him the second-highest-paid football executive in the country behind Manchester United’s Ed Woodward.
And many disgruntled Gunners fans are wondering exactly what the South African does to merit that salary — which included a £1m bonus — after another season of disappointment.
Yet chief executive Gazidis, 52, will earn every penny over the next few months.
For he needs to persuade manager Arsene Wenger and up to THIRTEEN players to commit to a club which has not won the title since 2004.
Top of his list is getting the manager and superstars Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to pen new deals.
Wenger makes recommendations as to which players should get new deals, but plays no part in talks.
That will be left to Gazidis and head of football operations Dick Law, who are aware the club’s annual wage bill spiralled to £195.4m last season.
And that does not take into account salaries of big summer buys Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Perez.
Here, SunSport looks at the stars heading for talks — and assesses the likelihood of them staying or going.
Who earns what at the Emirates
ARSENE WENGER
Contract expires 2017
Current salary £160,000 per week
Short of a complete Gunners meltdown in the coming months, the manager will be offered a new deal on the same terms as his current £8million-a-year agreement.
But Wenger, 66, will only sign if he feels the team is truly capable of winning top titles. Despite fluttering his eyelashes at England, the signs are that football’s longest-serving boss will extend his stay.
SANTI CAZORLA
Contract expires 2017
Current salary £90,000 per week
Even at 31, Spanish playmaker Cazorla remains a key figure in Wenger’s plans and is keen to stay despite interest from Spain and Italy. Gunners are set to take up their option of a further 12 months.
PER MERTESACKER
Contract expires 2017
Current salary £70,000 per week
Skipper, 32, was slowing up even before the knee injury which KO’d him for the rest of the year. He could be allowed to leave as a free agent next summer.
MATHIEU DEBUCHY
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £70,000 per week
Full-back, 31, has hardly played since his £11m move from Newcastle in 2014 and is keen to go, so he could leave in January.
KIERAN GIBBS
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £60,000 per week
Once regarded as the natural replacement for Ashley Cole, Gibbs, 27, has lost his way and is now used purely as back-up to Nacho Monreal. Wenger wants him to stay but he will be sold next summer if he does not sign a new deal before then.
OLIVIER GIROUD
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £100,000 per week
The club’s only out-and-out targetman, Giroud, 30, has not started a game all season and needs a storming second half of the campaign to persuade the club to extend his current £5m-a-year deal.
ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £65,000 per week
The Ox, 23, is no longer a regular and may be looking to move on next summer if his situation does not change. Theo Walcott’s revival and the emergence of Alex Iwobi have limited his opportunities.
MESUT OZIL
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £140,000 per week
Arsenal’s top priority is getting their £42.5m record signing to extend his stay.
The German superstar, 27, is not looking for a move but knows his market value and contract negotiations are likely to be resolved by an offer of £200,000 a week.
ALEXIS SANCHEZ
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £130,000 per week
The Chilean, 27, wants proof that he can achieve the domestic and Euro titles he craves at the Emirates and will keep Arsenal sweating for the rest of the year. Like Ozil, he will want at least £200k.
WOJCIECH SZCZESNY
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £80,000 per week
On loan at Roma, the keeper, 26, would be willing to make switch permanent but is reluctant to take a wage cut.
JACK WILSHERE
Contract expires 2018
Current salary £90,000 per week
Arsenal were keen to get the midfielder, 24, committed to a new deal before he joined Bournemouth on loan but he refused to rush talks.
His priority is to prove his fitness after years of injury woes and will not sign if he thinks he is going to be a squad man.
HECTOR BELLERIN
Contract expires 2019
Current salary £50,000 per week
Arsenal want to fend off interest from Manchester City and Barcelona by handing their exciting right-back, 21, a double-your-money deal of £100k a week.
LAURENT KOSCIELNY
Contract expires 2019
Current salary £70,000 per week
Stand-in captain, 31, is now one of the finest centre-halves in the game and Arsenal want to recognise this by handing him £100k a week. But that means extending his contract way past his 33rd birthday.
AARON RAMSEY
Contract expires 2019
Current salary £80,000 per week
Wales midfielder, 25, is looking for a pay packet to reflect his status. Gunners will negotiate a new deal but only when all his injury concerns have been answered.