Chamberlain Next To Show Unrest Over Contract Issues?

Arsenal have opened talks with youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain over a new contract but risk another contract wrangle after offering him less than several ‘flops’ are on, according to the Mirror.

Manager Arsene Wenger is wanting to reward the 19-year-old with a new bumper contract for his meteoric rise to the first team over the past 15 months. Chamberlain is currently on £15,000-a-week and Arsenal have so far offered to treble his wages to £45,000-a-week.

This offer may sound fair for a 19-year-old, but when you consider the fact Chamberlain is now an important member of the first team squad and an England squad regular, together with the fact that fringe players such as Sebastien Squillaci, Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh are all on £50-£60,000-a-week, it’s easy to see why the Oxe’s representatives are holding out for more.

The Mirror claim that his agents are looking for him to be moved to a deal that’s at least on par with the trio, but an offer of £60,ooo-a-week would see him commit his long-term future to the club.

Chamberlain is tied to the five-year contract he signed when he joined the club in 2011, so there is no immediate worry that he will leave any time soon, unless the contract talks completely break down and he becomes unsettled and asks for a move, but this is the latest example of Arsenal not paying their best players the going rate.

Don’t get me wrong, Chamberlain has a long way to go before he should be ‘demanding’ ridiculous wages, but for Bendtner, Squillaci and Chamakh to be on better deals, even though we can’t even give them away at the minute (ironically because of their high wages!), it’s a slap in the face for Chamberlain if you ask me.

Arsenal’s wage structure and policy needs to be addressed quickly. We pay mediocre players far too much then when it comes to renewals, such as in Chamberlains case, those players wages are then used as the benchmark.

If Chamakh was on say £30,000-a-week, and Chamberlain was offered £45,000-a-week, you could understand the logic and Chamberlain would no doubt sign. But Wenger’s insistence to pay over-the-top wages to average players is a major reason why we can’t ‘compete’ with the United’s of this world.

Theo Walcott is the latest first team player who’s on the verge of leaving the club over contract issues, and who’d bet again Chamberlain being in Theo’s position in 12 or 24 months time?

Do you think Chamberlain deserves to be paid more than Chamakh, Squillaci and Bendtner? Get involved in the comments section.