Top 5 highest paid Arsenal players in 2018

The 2018/19 season will definitely mark the beginning of an era at Arsenal as they will be commencing the competition sans the fatherly figure of Arsene Wenger for the first time in 22 years.

Needless to say, Wenger was far more than just an influential manager who shaped the club's principles and philosophies and it remains intriguing to see how The Gunners will get on following the Frenchman's departure.

Unai Emery, the erstwhile PSG manager, has taken the reins in the wake of Wenger's emotional adieu, and it's probably safe to say that he is quite determined to lead the club to glory.

The likes of Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Lucas Torreira have all been signed, which evinces the team's resolution to call a halt to their infamous 14-year Premier League drought.

While an extortionate amount of money has been involved in procuring the new signings, the weekly wages of those who will ply their trade at Emirates in the coming season stay fascinating. On that note, let us take a look at the top 5 highest paid Arsenal players in 2018.

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#5 Aaron Ramsey - £110,000 per week

Aaron Ramsey

Post the exits of Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, Ramsey is the only senior British player left at Arsenal.

In the 2017/18 season, the Welshman was a brilliant performer for the club, notching up 11 goals and engineering 12 assists across all competitions. Consequently, he is presently the leading goal-scoring box-to-box midfielder in world football.

Ramsey has only got 12 months left on his contract with Arsenal and many top-notch clubs are lining up to secure his signature. However, negotiations are still going on with the 27-year-old to sign a contract extension as he appears to be an important cog under Unai Emery.

#4 Sead Kolašinac - £119,500 per week

Sead Kolasinac

Having impressed Arsene Wenger with his startling performances for Schalke, Kolasinac was signed by Arsenal last summer on a free transfer.

And what an amazing acquisition he was for the first half of the season. The talented 25-year-old hit the ground running from the word go in order to establish himself as the best signing of the season.

Nevertheless, recurring injury problems blighted his form in the latter half of the season as he fell down the pecking order with Nacho Monreal usurping his berth.

Kolasinac is a player who befits Emery's schematics and can positively live up to his billing in the forthcoming season if he manages to stay on the pitch with his legs underneath him.

#3 Henrikh Mkhitaryan - £180,000 per week

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Mkhitaryan is another player who can thrive under Unai Emery in the coming season having joined Arsenal in the winter transfer window.

Since his arrival, Mkhitaryan has fired on all cylinders, in spite of an injury problem, and has even outperformed Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United, for whom he was swapped. The Armenian has made 17 appearances altogether for Arsenal, netting 3 goals and orchestrating a further 6.

#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - £200,000 per week

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

After months of pursuing, Aubameyang was eventually signed for £56m by Arsenal in January 2018.

The Gabon international has been a prolific goal-scoring threat ever since, registering 10 goals and 4 assists in the 14 outings he made. Aubameyang is one of the significant reasons why Gooners are feeling quite optimistic about the 2018/19 season.

If exploited properly, the 29-year-old can go on to make a name for himself in arguably the most competitive league in the tournament and will positively make Arsenal a force to be reckoned with.

#1 Mesut Özil - £350,000 per week

Mesut Ozil

By virtue of his excellent showings for Arsenal, Mesut Ozil is the highest paid player at the Emirates at present.

Ozil was easily far from his best last season, but he was still one of the best performers for Arsenal in comparison with his teammates. The German midfielder racked up 5 goals and 14 assists for his team in the previous season.

Having long been criticized for not performing in big matches, Ozil can win the match for his team single-handedly when on a song. The new contract he signed with Arsenal, in order to fend off suitors, has placed him atop this list.