A move that Arsenal helped pioneer getting transfer moves over the line has been copied by Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
In a deal to take Mauro Icardi to Galatasary on loan, part of a huge window bringing in Juan Mata, Dries Mertens and former Gunners midfielder Lucas Torreira, the Turkish side hit a stumbling block over the Argentine forward's wages. On more than £100,000 per week, Galatasary's ploy was to have PSG pay the bulk of the wages in order to ensure he was able to get the transfer.
Although it may not seem like a good deal for the French side, in essence, it does help them to remove a player that wants away from the club. It's a move in the same league that follows the precedent set by Arsenal less than 12 months ago.
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Even though a move had been agreed to take him to Fenerbache, with his contract being terminated early rather than seeing out the final six months, Arsenal continued to pay the bulk of his wages, with more than 90% being paid by the Gunners despite not owning the player or him even being their player.
Arsenal followed a similar strategy with Mesut Ozil in 2021, with the Gunners forking out more than 90 per cent of Ozil's old salary even though he was playing for Fenerbahce. Being on a massive package of £350,000 per week still and only offering one goal in his final 18 league matches.
Ozil's form dropped off dramatically at the Emirates after 2017 and, despite still being on their books until 2021, he did get a move away, but it had to be funded in part from his former club. The deal did pave the way for Martin Odegaard to join later that year, though, and even at the hit of paying for a player they didn't own, Arsenal made the right choice.
Just like Arsenal and Ozil, Icardi's parent club, PSG, who had the payment structure of his deal tweeted by the Galatasary account, will now be paying almost all of Icardi's wages. Upwards of £5m, with the side, he will be playing for paying less than £750,000 for his services for the season.
Ozil has since left Fenerbache, where he scored nine times in his first full season, and now plays at İstanbul Başakşehir.
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