Arsenal paying just £97,500 out of Raheem Sterling’s £325,000 weekly wages
|Arsenal are paying just 30 per cent (£97,500) out of Raheem Sterling’s £325,000 weekly wages for the period of his season-long loan from Chelsea, according to talkSPORT.
It was widely believed that the Gunners would be paying half of the wages of the England international, while there were also reports Arsenal would be paying him £100,000 a week.
However, it has emerged that it is slightly less than that, with Chelsea paying £12 million of his yearly £17m, while the North London club are parting with just £5m in wages and zero loan fees.
Arsenal have bagged themselves a handsome financial package in the deal given how little they are paying for the services of Sterling going forward.
It could prove to be a masterclass from sporting director Edu if the former Manchester City star manages to hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium club.
The 29-year-old could make his debut when the North London club take on Tottenham Hotspur in their derby on Sunday, and his versatility could see manager Mikel Arteta deploy him as a number 10 following a huge injury to captain Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian midfielder twisted his ankle against Austria on Monday night and is expected to miss the game against Spurs after he was seen on crutches on Tuesday morning.
As a result, Arteta may need to pick one of his forwards to play behind the striker as he is unlikely to trust 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri against their North London rivals.
Makeshift striker Kai Havertz has been widely tipped to be chosen to play in the role, but Sterling is also an option.
The veteran attacker will be willing to play anywhere in the final third as long as it can help Arsenal pick up all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.