Official info: Arsenal have confirmed that first-team players and coaches voluntarily agreed to a 12.5 per cent pay cut for the next 12 months.
Some refused: The Athletic's David Ornstein, perhaps the most reliable source about all Arsenal-related topics, said that two players had rejected wage reductions. He refused to reveal names.
Ozil claims: The Daily Mail reported that three footballers turned down the pay cut agreement, one of them being the club's highest earner Mesut Ozil.
Alleged reasons: The playmaker won't mind slashing his £350,000-a-week wages in the future but wants to know the financial impact of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Agent's words: Ozil's representative Erkut Sogut earlier stated that he'd advise his players against accepting wage reductions. He also questioned Arsenal's approach to negotiations with footballers.
Suspicions: Some believe that the 12.5 per cent saved by the club's agreement with the players will go to Stan Kroenke, not Arsenal, as the billionaire lost a lot of money due to football and other sports being suspended.
Charity work: Mesut Ozil is one of the most charitable athletes and is known to have donated a lot of money to various relief funds and NGOs around the world.
Tax and the NHS: Players' earnings are taxed and the money goes to public services, including the NHS. Hence, the more Ozil earns, the more the NHS gets from taxation.
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