Whilst the ongoing saga’s of Arsene Wenger and Alexis Sanchez look set to continue right up until the end of the campaign, it seems that Mesut Ozil is keen to put a stop to some of the rumours going around regarding his commitment to the club.
It has been suggested for a little while now that like Alexis Sanchez, Ozil is quite likely to be looking for an exit this summer, with both players unable to agree new terms with the club. Ozil seems less motivated by money than Alexis, but that isn’t to say that Alexis is a money grabber! Both players just want to be paid the same amount that is recognised worldwide for players of their quality; and I think Arsenal should pay them exactly that. If you want to be the best club, you must have or in this case keep, the best players at your club.
The rumour mill therefore moved Ozil’s contractual issues away from money, and towards the uncertainty surrounding Arsene Wenger. Wenger has been touted to leave all season and with the boss growing ever likely to finish his Arsenal association in the summer, could it also spell an end for Ozil at Arsenal? The German stated that Wenger was one of the main reasons he decided to join from Real Madrid back in 2013, so with rumours suggesting Wenger will go, it has meant that Ozil could too decide that his commitment to Arsenal has also ended.
With such rumours therefore doing the rounds, Ozil felt the need to address the media with his concerns. In a Sky Sports report Ozil is quoted saying: “I have always said I’m very happy at Arsenal. Everything fits here – the club, the fans and the city. Arsene Wenger was also one of the main reasons why I joined Arsenal.”
“However, I also know that in football everything moves very quickly and a lot differently to what you had planned. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that my future is dependent on the coach.”
Overall it seems Ozil is actually still happy at the club. He continued to state that he wants to win and ideally he’d like to do that with Arsenal, which of course sounds promising. I think it was necessary for Ozil to come out and address the concerns surrounding his future, because although I feel it should be fairly obvious that Ozil wouldn’t be so loyal to Wenger that if it meant he was going, then the player would leave too; but I do feel Ozil still needed to put the record straight.
Of course the German international hasn’t quite come out to say that he is going to commit his future to the club, so there is still a chance he could leave in the summer. I think he, like many of the players in this squad, are waiting to see what changes happen in the summer, who comes and who goes, and then players like Ozil will decide if they wish to continue their journey with Arsenal or not.
By AH