Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: ‘Trophies, not money will keep best players at club’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that the star players within his team prioritise silverware over wage packets.

The Frenchman admitted on Tuesday that it has been “difficult” to tie down Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to new deals.

Negotiations have been ongoing for some time as both players will be out of contract at the Emirates at the end of next season.

Wenger has insisted, though, that his star men are not motivated by money, but rather the team’s ability to challenge for trophies.

“I think these kind of players can raise a little bit above the financial aspect of the game because they are not poor and they have to look really on the football side,” Wenger told reporters. “We have a scale of wages but it has become a bit more individual than when I arrived 20 years ago because every case is a bit special. It has changed a little bit but anyway you don’t need to worry, they are all well paid.

“They are wanted by other clubs and it’s normal they try to get the maximum out of their negotiations because they have 10 years to play at the top level if all goes well. My whole life I fight to get the players paid as much as I can.”

It is believed that Ozil currently pockets £140,000 a week, while Sanchez earns 10,000 less than his teammate.