Arsenal have agreed a deal with German Bundesliga club Cologne for striker Lukas Podolski.
The 26-year-old, a reputed target for the Gunners in the January transfer window, will fetch up to £10.9m and BBC Sport understands he will be offered £100,000 a week.
Gunners defender Per Mertesacker, an international team-mate of Podolski, was reported to have said in the Metro: "He has sent me a number of text messages, and I have told him this is a great place to work and Arsenal are an amazing club."
Podolski has featured at two World Cups and one European Championship for Die Mannschaft, scoring eight goals at the three finals.
As staggering as the wage packet is for the Polish-born German international, it is also a signal that Arsenal may be willing to part with a significant amount of expenditure to ensure that star striker Robin van Persie stays.
Podolski scores against England:
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini confirmed that the club is interested in signing the Dutchman in the summer, but Podolski's arrival - an ideal foil - could convince him to remain in north London.
Van Persie's 32-goal campaign is all the more remarkable when he has effectively been playing out-of-position. Regarded by Wenger as a trequartista, he has emerged into a highly reliable number nine frontman despite lacking sufficient support.
Podolski, although a forward who invariably operates on the wing, will probably be given a more central role at the Emirates Stadium.