Arsenal transfer target wants more in wages than Saka to move this summer

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Arsenal are continuing with their push to sign West Ham’s Declan Rice but could have to pay him a massive sum in wages.

It’s well known that Arsenal consider Rice their number one transfer target heading into the summer.

However, as well as paying a huge fee over around £100m to get West Ham to the negotiating table, it seems big wages are going to need to be offered up as well.

Arsenal need to pay Rice big salary to sign

According to the Northern Echo, Rice’s reps are looking to get around £250k-a-week for their man. That sort of money is believed to be putting Newcastle off, who don’t want to break their own wage structure.

In the context of Arsenal, it would immediately put Rice right in line with the very top earners at the club.

Bukayo Saka has just signed a new deal worth £200k-a-week and according to Spotrac, only Gabriel Jesus earns that sort of money as things stand on around £265k-a-week.

Of course, Mikel Arteta will make the argument that this is the sort of money the best players need to be paid

And after guiding his Gunners side to second in the Premier League, he’ll hope for backing from the board on this one.

Worth the money

Sometimes, you have to break the bank and with Declan Rice, it’s very much worth it for Arsenal.

This summer is all about them bringing in players who can make the difference. Rice does that, and if he takes big wages then so be it.

The rest of the Arsenal squad are unlikely to grumble too much about Rice’s big salary if he makes them better.

So while this deal is going to be hugely expensive for the Gunners, it’s a deal worth doing. Rice is simply brillianty and if he does sign, that Premier League title might well be more within reach next time around.