Mesut Ozil resists 12.5% ​​pay cut after vast majority of Arsenal team agreed to negotiate

Mesut Ozil resists Arsenal’s efforts to implement a 12.5 percent pay cut across the team.

Arsenal announced on Monday ‘a voluntary agreement with first-team players, the head coach and the main coaching staff” to cut wages for a 12-month period.

However, there are up to three players who must still be fully convinced of the need to take total salary deductions, rather than deferrals, with Ozil understood as one of those.

Mesut Ozil resists Arsenal’s efforts to implement a 12.5 percent pay cut across the squad

Individual talks are expected to continue with Ozil, the club’s largest supplier at £ 350,000 a week, who has made it clear that he may be willing to cut wages in the future, but wants to be sure of the full financial impact of the coronavirus. before making a full informed decision.

Ozil is understood to be open to accepting a postponement worth more than the 12.5 percent pay cut his teammates have taken. The Professional Footballers Association has advised players not to cut back.

German representative Dr. Erkut Sogut declined to comment when contacted by Sportsmail last night.

He also contacted Arsenal, but declined to discuss the matter because they consider it a private matter for the players.

But speaking earlier this month, Sogut said: ‘Deferral is an option, but not agreeing to a cut today when clubs can still reap the same profits as last year.

Arsenal announced that its stars had accepted pay cuts amid the ongoing pandemic

“What is the exact financial impact on the clubs, we can see it three or six months later, but we cannot see it today.”

By announcing pay cuts on Monday, Arsenal has become the first club to agree to total pay cuts, rather than deferrals. “

In an interview with Athletic today, Sogut added: “It is not enough for a club to present a proposal to a member of the first-team team and then ask them to go to the rest of the team and obtain their consent to do so.” . This is not how individual contract negotiations should be conducted.

“A club may even ask the manager of a first team to negotiate with the players and this may influence some, especially younger players or the periphery who fear there may be personal repercussions for him if he does not agree.”

Manager Mikel Arteta stressed to his players the importance of making sacrifices last week.

“In those circumstances, it could be questionable that any player consent would be legally binding anyway since some players are not in a position to give true consent if they are under pressure to do so.”

Initially, as Sportsmail revealed last Monday, the players refused to accept salary cuts when the club’s PFA representative Hector Bellerin presented the proposal to them.

But manager Mikel Arteta, during talks with the players last Wednesday, played a key role in bringing about a change of heart in his team.

Arsenal will return the total losses of 12.5 percent to players in full if they qualify for the Champions League in the next two seasons.

Ozil, pictured signing his contract with former manager Arsene Wenger, is Arsenal’s top winner in weekly wages of £ 350,000

Players will receive a 7.5 percent refund if they reach the Europa League, but will have to swallow 12.5 percent if they do not qualify for Europe.

‘We are pleased to announce that we have entered into a voluntary agreement with our first team players, the head coach and the head coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time.

Move Movement follows positive and constructive discussions. In these conversations there has been a clear appreciation of the seriousness of the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a strong desire for players and staff to demonstrate their support for the Arsenal family. ”