Arsenal reportedly offered Mesut Özil more than any of their rivals in order to convince him to sign a new contract.

According to the Telegraph, the 29-year-old will earn £350,000-a-week with Arsenal. That’ll make him the Gunners’ highest paid player by far. Even new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is only on around half that, at £180,000-a-week.

The report also claims the club’s offer to Özil was bigger than any he received from elsewhere.

The Telegraph don’t claim money was the only factor behind Özil’s reported decision though. They also place some importance on the aforementioned transfer of Aubameyang.

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The Gabon international signed for the Gunners on deadline day for a club-record fee. Together with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, he’ll front a new look Arsenal attack, after Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud left for Manchester United and Chelsea.

Before the window opened, Özil might have worried that players like those two would leave without the club adequately replacing them. Even if the Arsenal board were willing to spend, there’s no guarantee a player like Aubameyang would be available. Especially in January, when moving can be so disruptive.

Fortunately, the 28-year-old was available. Arsenal eased any hesitancy Özil may have felt by buying the striker, and, according to the Telegraph’s report, he signed a new deal as a result. It all worked out in the end, thankfully.