Arsenal could make Alexis Sanchez top earner ahead of Mesut Ozil with new deal

Sanchez is currently on £130,000-a-week but talks have begun over a deal to take him past Ozil's club record wages

Arsenal are ready to open contract negotiations with Alexis Sanchez to make him the club's record earner

Arsenal are ready to make Alexis Sanchez their highest paid player as part of widespread contract renewals that will see him overtake current top earner Mesut Özil.

Sanchez has found his form after a slow start to the 2015/16 season, with manager Arsene Wenger previously admitting that he may have rushed the Chile international back from his summer exploits at the Copa America and relied on him too much.

But seven goals in his last four matches – including a hat-trick against Leicester – has seen Sanchez hit top form for both club and country, and the Daily Mail reports that the Gunners are ready to reward Sanchez and secure him to a fresh long-term contract.

The 26-year-old forward currently earns £130,000-a-week at the Emirates, £10,000 less than Özil currently does, but the proposed new deal will take Sanchez past the club record wages.

However, it’s expected that Arsenal are also close to opening negotiations with the Germany international and the two could see their deals matched to avoid any trouble among the squad.

Özil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 with Sanchez arriving a season later from fellow Spaniard’s Barcelona, and both have contracts that run until July 2018, though Arsenal are eager to see those extended to 2020 should talks go smoothly.

The pair will not be the only ones to agree extensions, as the Daily Mail go on to claim that an agreement is already in place with left-back Nacho Monreal that will see the Spain international put pen to paper on a three-year contract.

One player who will not be signing a new deal anytime soon though is club captain Mikel Arteta. The midfielder saw his future thrown into the balance last summer when prolonged talks over extending his stay failed to conclude before the end of the season, and with the eventual announcement confirming just a one-year deal, the club will not make a decision on whether to hand the 33-year-old another contract until the end of the season.