Mesut Ozil has not featured in any game since the restart (Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta was recently appointed as the manager of Arsenal following the sacking of Unai Emery. Former midfielder Arteta spent five years at the club as a player and has flourished as Pep Guardiola’s assistant over the past three years, helping Manchester City win back-to-back domestic titles.
Meanwhile, an Arsenal player whose future hangs in the balance is Mesut Ozil. Since joining the club in September 2013 for a fee of £42.4m, the German is one of the most celebrated stars at the Emirates – except he doesn’t play.
Mesut turned 30 on 15th October this year. Though his game isn’t based on pace or power, one might wonder as to how his game has declined over the past few seasons.
In the Premier League in 2015-16, he had 6 goals and 19 assists. In 2016-17, he registered 8 goals and 9 assists. And in 2017-18, he only scored 4 goals and assisted 8 goals.
He goes missing for vast periods with the odd flash of brilliance especially when his team needs him the most. There has been a clear decline in his performance. If he doesn’t fit the club’s philosophy and the new manager isn’t keen on him, Arsenal should sell him and free up wages to sign players who would actually make a difference.
With the uproar surrounding his international retirement, Ozil doesn’t look at ease and it showed in the recent World Cup. The pressure will be high on Arteta to bag good results and a couple of sub-par performances from Ozil would hardly do anything to help the Gunners’ cause.
The German was substituted early on in the second half against Manchester City by Arsenal’s interim head coach Ljungberg, with the midfielder reacting angrily as he slowly made his way off amid an audible chorus of boos from the crowd.
He took off and kicked his gloves as he made his way off, with Manchester City fans taunting the Arsenal man with a chant aimed in his direction as he was replaced by youngster Emile Smith Rowe.
The German playmaker also fell out of favour under previous boss Unai Emery. He has only started eight times in the league this campaign, providing one assist.
It would a good decision if Arteta decides to sell Ozil, as the German’s influence on games has been on the decline for the last couple of years. He has been linked with a move to Fenerbahce and Arsenal must sell him before his worth decreases further.