Two decisions Mikel Arteta made in 2022 and 2023 are costing Arsenal millions of pounds.
Arsenal aren’t active in the January transfer window, but that doesn’t mean that the Gunners aren’t spending big.
Behind the scenes, Arsenal have one of the highest wage bills in the Premier League, which is to be expected for a squad challenging for the title.
The issue is that the way the wages are being distributed doesn’t always add up to reflect form and quality, as seen when looking at the top two on a list of Arsenal’s highest earners.
Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are set to cost Arsenal over £70m in wages
Bukayo Saka will soon become Arsenal’s highest earner, but right now, that title belongs to Kai Havertz.
Which Arsenal player is being overpaid and who’s not earning enough?
Havertz earns an eye-watering £280k-a-week, and just behind him as Arsenal’s second-best paid player is Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus collects £260k-a-week, but putting his lovable nature aside, the returns on that cost reveal a stark imbalance.
The same goes for Havertz, as since the start of the 2024/25 season, the two Arsenal strikers have played a combined 49 Premier League games and have scored only 13 league goals between them.
To contextualise the output, Erling Haaland has already scored 20 goals this campaign, seven more than the Arsenal duo combined since the start of LAST season.
What’s most concerning is what’s to come, as Capology data reveals that Arsenal still owe Jesus and Havertz over £70m in wages.
Arteta’s decision to sign the already lacklustre duo on extortionate contracts is backfiring, and given their combined lack of goals and availability, Stan Kroenke will surely want something resolved.
Havertz and Jesus need to be sold
It might be harsh to say that the pair need to be removed from Arsenal’s books promptly, as they’ve both suffered their fair share of injury woes.
What do you think the future holds for Havertz at Arsenal? 🤔
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Football is, however, an unforgiving business, and for a club on the rise like Arsenal, spending over half a million a week on wages for two players who do not offer much at all seems redundant.
In wage expenditure and squad terms, Arsenal must move away from the Jesus and Havertz striker project in search of upgrades.
Of course, the upgrades in question will demand even higher salaries, but Arsenal will have more room to manoeuvre if they axe their two highest earners.
Arsenal cannot, under any circumstances, be willing to pay Havertz and Jesus the remaining £70m of their contracts, with the only solution being sales.
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