Arsenal need to increase wages to sign ‘best player at the Emirates’

In stark contrast to the last international break, there is a really pleasant atmosphere around Arsenal at the moment.

Instead of going into a long break on the back of a disastrous defeat at Anfield, the Gunners sit significantly higher up in the Premier League table thanks to a customary win against West Ham United and Chelsea’s last-minute goal to snatch all three points from Liverpool.

There is also talk of Emirates’ capacity being expanded in the not-too-distant future, and in even better news, David Raya will reportedly receive a pay rise to reflect his importance to the team.

The Spaniard deserves a new contract, but he is not the only player in Mikel Arteta’s squad who needs a new deal.

Why Raya deserves a raise

Interestingly, reports regarding Raya’s new payment terms mention that his contract includes an option year, but it is clear that this new contract does not actually increase the standard number of years the Spaniard can remain at the club.

This may sound pretty strange to some, and there’s certainly an argument to be made that it is, but there are several reasons why this salary could rise more than makes sense.

Firstly, unlike when the former Brentford ace first signed and there was an element of doubt as to who would be the club’s starting goalkeeper between him and Aaron Ramsdale, he is now clearly one of the first names on the team sheet.

So it makes sense that his salary reflects his true importance to the team. The £100,000-a-week he was earning before these new contracts was less than 14 other players, including Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.

Secondly, in addition to starting most of the team’s games, the 30-year-old is arguably one of the best players in his position in the Premier League, if not Europe.

For example, he won the league’s Golden Glove Award in both of the past two seasons, and according to FBref, he ranks in the top 4% of keepers in Europe’s top five leagues in cross prevention rate, top 7% in clean sheet percentage, and top 8% in save percentage, all within the 90% range.

Finally, from a purely social point of view, it keeps him happy and shows other players that consistent results will be rewarded, which in turn helps foster a better atmosphere.

That being said, there is another player on the team who deserves the same treatment.

Arsenal stars deserve a pay rise like Raya

The good thing for Arteta and Arsenal is that there aren’t many players in the squad who can currently claim to be underpaid after a number of new contracts were agreed in the summer.

However, there is one representative player who can make that claim. Julian Timber is a player who deserves, if not a new contract, then at least a pay rise.

Yes, the former Ajax star, who joined the club in the summer of 2023 for around £38m, is probably the player most deserving of a new deal at the moment, and reports this month suggest he could soon get one.

Being a right-back and not having the tendency to fly forward like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Jermaine Frimpong means the Dutchman doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves from across the footballing world.

But the 24-year-old has been outstanding since recovering from the ACL injury that sidelined him for most of the 23/24 season, and his performances this season have made him increasingly difficult to overlook.

Like Declan Rice in midfield or Bukayo Saka on the wing, this monster defender rarely, if ever, performs less than 7/10, and often performs better.

In the words of Arsenal podcaster Adam Keyes, he is a “dementor of wingers” thanks to his great foresight, football IQ and incredible physical ability. But he has also improved his attacking play, particularly this season, and his performance against Newcastle United was arguably his best attacking performance since joining the club.

Unsurprisingly, the Utrecht-born giant’s underlying numbers this season have more than backed up the eye test, proving he has reached a level that few other full-backs can achieve.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of Premier League full-backs for actual and expected non-penalty goals, shot-producing actions, progressive passes and tackles, top 7% for total shots and completed passes, and top 11% for touches inside the opposition penalty area, all in the 90s.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to agree with respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that Timber is “one of the best signings of the Emirates era” when you consider all factors.

So, like Raya, he too needs a raise as soon as possible, or preferably a new contract altogether.