Wenger suggests Sanchez, Ozil to lower their wage demands in new contract talks

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has urged star forward Alexis Sanchez and midfielder Mesut Ozil not to let money decide their future as according to him, both the players would earn a fortune wherever they go.

Wenger is considering resting both the star players for Tuesday's final Champions League group game against Basel. But as off now, the long-term focus is on tieing down Sanchez and Ozil to new deals, with both men out of contract at the end of next season.

Admitting that he might be "naive" in hoping that cash will not be a major factor, the Arsenal boss said, "We are in negotiations, yes. The players have 18 months away from the end of their contracts, so it's normal."

"I would like to say the luxury of the modern game should be that it's not only about the money because the players make good money at this level anyway, wherever they play," Wenger was quoted as saying by Mirror.co.uk.

"I believe, personally - maybe I am a bit naïve - that it's more about getting to meet the players' needs. That's about the way the club has values, the way the club has ambition, the way the club respects the players. So I think, for me, that is more important nowadays and an important ingredient for every player to consider. The money is good everywhere for everybody."

Ozil is the club's highest earning player on 140,000 pound per week, just ahead of the red-hot Sanchez who scored a stunning hat-trick at West Ham at the weekend.

As per reports, the new offer to Ozil is around 200,000 pound-a-week.