New signing has become the highest-earning player at Arsenal after the north Londoners decided to rip up their wage structure, according to reports.
The Germany international to the Emirates from last week, becoming the club’s first new arrival of what is shaping up to be a very busy summer.
In addition to bringing in Havertz, the Gunners have also agreed and are closing in on a £40m swoop for Ajax’s Jurrien Timber.
Not only are Arsenal splashing the cash in terms of transfer fees, but the club have also increased their wage budget after several years of cost-cutting.
Big earners like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were all let go under Mikel Arteta’s watch, with a core of young, predominantly homegrown players getting paid far less.
Thomas Partey had been the club’s highest earner on just under £200,000-a-week – sitting apart from the rest of the squad – though new deals for stars like Bukayo Saka had brought more players in line with that figure.
As Arsenal now look to make the leap and become regular title contenders, they are prepared to once again dish out salaries befitting of elite players and claim Havertz is the first beneficiary.
The 24-year-old will reportedly take home a salary of £330,000-a-week, though that figure could get even higher when bonuses are factored in – making him the club’s highest earner since Ozil.
Rice has been offered a virtually identical salary and Arsenal are prepared to create a new band of high earners for their top bracket of ever-increasing world-class players.
Arteta believes Havertz can be a key player for the Gunners next season despite a somewhat lacklustre campaign for Chelsea, with the German to be pushed back into a midfield role.
Largely playing as a false nine, Havertz was Chelsea’s top scorer last season – albeit only netting seven times in the Premier League – but Arteta wants to utilise him in his midfield three next season.
The Spanish coach when discussing his arrival and there is an expectation that he will take on the foraying, box-to-box role performed by Granit Xhaka – who is set to join Bayer Leverkusen.
Timber, who is on the verge of joining from Ajax, will not be offered as lucrative a deal as his fellow summer signings, while another target, Southampton teenager Romeo Lavia, will also be on a more modest salary.
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