What future holds for Mesut Ozil as Arsenal offer Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang big contracts

Arsenal are ready to make a record-breaking bid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – and are set to make him the highest earner at the club.

Dortmund turned down the Gunners’ initial £45million enquiry for the striker, as they confirmed the north London club had been in contact.

Arsenal, who have identified the forward as a replacement for the departing Alexis Sanchez, are ready to go above the £52million they paid for Alexandre Lacazette to get the deal over the line.

The Gunners will pay straight cash for the Gabonese forward, after dismissing Dortmund’s proposition of including Olivier Giroud as part of the deal.

And Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is convinced the Aubameyang deal is very close.

So just how much is the striker set to earn, and how much will Arsenal part with to convince both Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan the Emirates is the place for them?

Mkhitaryan currently earns £200,000 per week at Manchester United, but he is expected to earn a little bit more than this at Arsenal.

Aubameyang will earn the same, as Arsenal, who have previously paid less on player wages than their rivals, look to break the bank in the aftermath of losing Sanchez to the Red Devils.

But what happens to Ozil in all this?

As things stand the German, who wanted out just like Sanchez did, earns a basic wage of £140,000 per week at Arsenal – exactly what the Chilean did.

He has previously demanded wages of £290,000 per week, which was declined by the Arsenal hierarchy, leading to the idea that Ozil would leave north London on a free when his contract expires at the end of the season.

But Arsenal are in negotiations with Ozil over a new deal, after Wenger confirmed the German would not be leaving the club this January.

Ozil will, at the very least, be expecting the club to match the £200,000 per week ball park figure they have offered both Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan.

Alternatively, Ozil may stick to his guns and demand Arsenal go a step further to reinstate him as the club’s highest earner.

Either way, the deals for Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan with provide Ozil with more bargaining power as Arsenal attempt to tie him down beyond this season.