Arsenal are planning to offer contract extensions to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, but with pay increases based on bonuses.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 17: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with Ainsley Maitland-Niles during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 17: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal with Ainsley Maitland-Niles during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2019, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

According to The S*n, Arsenal want to extend the contracts of both of their star strikers without actually increasing the duo’s basic pay. The players will instead be offered large bonuses for achieving specific targets like Champions League qualification.

Other bonuses include winning the Europa League, the FA Cup, and hitting certain goal targets.

The offer makes sense from an Arsenal point of view. Lacazette and Aubameyang have both been crucial to the team for over a year now, but the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League and their oversized wage bill makes giving big pay increases difficult.

Of course, if Arsenal return to Europe’s premium competition, and perhaps win a trophy along the way, they’ll have plenty of money to pay the proposed bonuses. Plus it gives Aubameyang and Lacazette a financial incentive to keep performing.

From the other side of things, Aubameyang and Lacazette are now 30 and 28 respectively. As a result, this is likely to be their last chance to get a big contract in a top European league.

If they feel they can achieve the bonus targets, they can stay with a club where they have the love of the fans and starring roles in their team whilst earning a lot of money too. If they don’t believe in their chances, they may want to move on somewhere the money is guaranteed in basic pay. It really depends on them now.