Thursday 2 April 2020 12:23, UK
Arsene Wenger says Arsenal will only keep their best players if they are challenging for silverware.
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have both got less than two years to run on their contracts and are yet to agree extensions.
Both can expect big pay rise if they do sign, but Wenger is confident both men will make their decision based on football, and the likelihood of silverware - not cash.
"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," said the Arsenal boss.
"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.
"I blame nobody. If you were a player you would try the same. It has always been difficult to keep the good players. They have to feel that you meet their needs at the club and they get paid for it. Ideally you don't go into the final year but that is why we negotiate before.
"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."
Wenger says that clubs now need to plan well in advance if they want to keep players long-term - or even just maintain their value for a transfer away.
"Basically when they sign a contract for four years, they sign for two because of the simple fact that just to keep the value of the player you have to extend the contract," he said.
"You have to extend the contract two years before it is due to end. Sometimes one year. It is a little bit illogical because that means a player's commercial value is inflationary because you never extend a contract to offer less - but you do not have much of a choice."
