Arsenal ready to make Gonzalo Higuain highest paid player if he completes move from Real Madrid

Argentina international will be paid £125,000-a-week if he moves to the Emirates

Arsenal are ready to make Gonzalo Higuain the club's best paid player to ensure they capture their prime summer transfer target.

The Real Madrid striker is close to a move to the Emirates and according to The Evening Standard, can expect to command wages of £125,000-a-week - taking him above current highest earners Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski.

A deal with the Argentina international's current club is yet to be struck but Arsenal are locked in talks with the Spanish giants and a deal seems likely. Sky Bet have announced that they have suspended betting on the 25-year-old joining the north London club. The Gunners are currently offering about £20m for Higuain and Real are holding out for £25.5m.

While the two parties are yet to settle on a compromise - expected to be in the region of £22m - the player's personal terms are not expected to be a problem.

Reports suggesting Higuain's contract have been agreed are premature but the Argentina international has indicated he would be willing to accept wages in the region of £125,000-a-week at Emirates Stadium.

The willingness to pay such wages is a signal of the club's intention to remodel their wage structure this summer.

Arsenal's previous record transfer fee was the £15m paid to Zenit St Petersburg for Andrey Arshavin in 2009 and the Russian's release frees up £95,000-a-week.

Sebastien Squillaci and Denilson have also left the club this summer, with Andre Santos and Marouane Chamakh likely to follow, allowing manager Arsene Wenger to redistribute wages.

Wenger is keen to land Higuain before Arsenal's players return for pre-season on July 4, not only as encouragement to his squad that they can compete for silverware but also to allow Higuain plenty of time to integrate with his team-mates before the new season.

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