Mikel Arteta insists the short club would not cut Mesut Ozil’s £ 350,000-a-week contract … but the Arsenal manager remains unsure whether to bring a German playmaker back to his 25-man squad in the Premier League this month
- Mesut Ozil did not play a single rival for Arsenal in this campaign
- Ozil wants to honor his £ 350,000-a-week contract that expires in six months
- Gunners leader Mikel Arteta has begun clearing out dead wood at the Emirates
- Germany’s future is uncertain, with clubs willing to match its huge salary
Mikel Arteta has announced that Arsenal will not block Mesut Ozil ‘s outcast contract, but whether he will return to the Gunners squad will depend on how the transfer window goes.
Attacking a midfielder, Ozil is on a £ 350,000 a week deal – expiring in six months – but has been left out of the club’s 25-man Premier League and Europa League teams. back in October.
The 32-year-old German has not played a second rival for Arsenal so far this season, and his banned salary so far has been a barrier to a move away.
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has not played a single competitive game for the club this season
When asked if Ozil, who has said he wants to stay the length of his contract at the Emirates, would return to the squad in January, Arteta was unopposed.
He said: ‘We will see what happens in the transfer window and make an assessment at the end of that.
‘You have to respect the contracts of the players. You can just try to be open with them, tell them your intentions, their role in the team and why.
Ozil ‘s salary of £ 350,000 a week expires in six months but boss Mikel Arteta won’t cut it short
‘Some people like to move because they don’t play and some people want to stay. That is something we cannot decide on our own.
‘When a player isn’t playing, it’s really hard to be happy.
‘There are players who don’t play at all, they know they won’t have any chance. That’s hard to mind for them, to keep them motivated and in that exciting position around the place for several months. That’s a lot of work. ‘
Arteta has already decided to sell or lend to players who are not part of its plans, with Chad Kolasinac to Schalke likely the first of many to leave the club in the January transfer window.
German midfielder Ozil has been successful under Arsene Wenger (left) but has fallen out of favor and has not been named in Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad this season.
Sportsmail reported on New Year’s Eve that Arsenal statue Liam Brady said Ozil was not a ‘good boy’ and fully supported Arteta for his exile.
The conundrum Ozil has also blocked their potential numbers, with a move reported for Christian Eriksen at Inter Milan saying he is in charge of the situation with the international 92-cap.
Arsenal traveled to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday afternoon in 13th place in the league, as close to the relegation zone as they are to the top four in the Champions League.
