Barca tempt Ozil with £350,000

Mesut Ozil will be offered a £350,000 weekly wage by Barcelona as they bid to steal a march on Manchester United in the race for his signature, according to reports.

Ozil’s deal at Arsenal is set to expire in the summer meaning the midfielder is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger revealed recently that the club would consider selling Ozil in January to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

And the Mirror report that Barcelona are willing to offer Ozil a £350,000-a-week wage packet to bring him to the Nou Camp.

United boss Jose Mourinho remains keen on Ozil, who he managed during their spell together at Real Madrid, but Barcelona have the advantage of being able to offer the German a pre-contract agreement in the new year.

When asked if Ozil had already agreed a move to Barcelona on Friday, Wenger responded saying: ‘No. What kind of control can I have over that?

‘All these people have agents who can talk to anybody. That doesn’t disturb people, that happens all through their career’.

Inter Milan are also interested in a move for Ozil and Arsenal are keen to recoup some of the £42.5million they spent on him in the summer of 2013.

Inter chief Erick Thohir admitted Ozil was a transfer target for his club and the Italians are considering a bid for him during the January transfer window.

Arsenal face losing both Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in the summer after the star duo enter the final seven months of their contracts at the Emirates.

Sanchez remains a target for both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are braced to receive offers in January for the Chilean.

Both Sanchez and Ozil impressed in Arsenal’s last league fixture, the 2-0 north London derby victory over Tottenham.

Arsenal were beaten 1-0 in Cologne on Thursday in the Europa League but will be hoping to bounce back when they turn their attentions back to the Premier League on Sunday for the trip to Burnley.