Arsenal contract rebel Mesut Ozil is said to have demanded Barcelona pay him a stunning £329,000-a-week (€370,000, $438,000) salary to move to the Nou Camp in January with Manchester United also monitoring the situation.
AS says the La Liga giants are keen to sign the former Real Madrid playmaker but they would only be able to meet his demands if Arda Turan leaves the club first.
But the Spanish publication suggests that Barcelona have reason to be optimistic, with Arsene Wenger willing to sell him to the Catalans now in order to avoid losing him to United for nothing in the summer.
The 29-year-old playmaker has been linked with both United and the Spanish giants in recent times with his contract set to expire at the end of the current season.
Jose Mourinho previously coached him at Real Madrid while Barcelona are said to have identified him as a potential cheaper alternative to Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho ahead of the January transfer window.
Wenger himself recently admitted that Arsenal may be forced to sell him and Alexis Sanchez in January if there is not a breakthrough in contract negotiations with the two players before the transfer window reopens.
Last week, the Evening Standard reported that the French boss has set a deadline day of the end of December to resolve both sagas with Arsenal having already offered £250,000-a-week to the German and £300,000-a-week to Sanchez to continue at the Emirates Stadium.
AS now claims that Ozil would even want even more if he were to join Barcelona in January with the former Real Madrid star having demanded the Catalans pay up £329,000-a-week.
AS claims that Ozil’s stunning demands could be a stumbling block for Barcelona with the Catalans struggling to fulfil their financial regulations regarding the player’s salary.
The Spanish publication says that to make space for Ozil, the Catalans would need to get rid of out-of-favour Turan, who surprisingly is the sixth best-paid player in the squad despite not registering a single minute of first-team football this season.
Recent reports in Turkey claim that the 30-year-old Turkey international has already asked Barcelona officials to leave in January after a summer move away from the Nou Camp fell though.
Meanwhile, AS claims that Ozil would also ask for a signing bonus on top of his huge salary as he knows that the Catalans could take him on the cheap.
Earlier this week Mundo Deportivo reported that Arsenal would be ready to let him go for only €20m in order to avoid losing him for free in the summer.
AS adds that Wenger is willing to do business with Barcelona in January to avoid the risk of seeing Ozil reuniting with Mourinho at United for free in the summer.
The Spanish publication suggests that Arsenal will still try to tie Ozil to a new deal but, if there is not a breakthrough in the negotiations, Wenger will give the green light for the former Real Madrid playmaker to make the move to Barcelona.
AS points out that Wenger might already be preparing for life without Ozil after recent reports claimed that the Gunners are interested in signing Leon Goretzka from Schalke 04.
Goretzka will also be out of contract in the summer and has also been heavily linked with the Catalans in recent times.
