Ozil is free to walk away from the Emirates next summer and Charles Watts takes a look on why it has never quite worked out at the Emirates
His time at Arsenal could be coming to an end. Mesut Ozil is yet to sign a new contract at the Emirates and it is looking increasingly likely that he will walk away on a free next summer.Four years ago, Arsenal broke their transfer record to complete the deadline day signing of Ozil from Real Madrid.But his time with the Gunners now appears to be set for a sour and unfulfilled end.Charles Watts of football.london takes a look at why Ozil has never quite reached his potential with Arsenal...
It was a match that seemed to be made in heaven, one that was supposed to herald the start of a new era - yet it could possibly end in what many would view as one of the ultimate betrayals.It’s more than four years ago now since Mesut Ozil signed for Arsenal on that dramatic transfer deadline day, we waited all day for the announcement and it finally came deep into the evening on September 2, 2013.Mesut Ozil - the German superstar, Europe’s assist king, was an Arsenal player - arriving in a club record £42.4 million deal from Spanish giants Real Madrid.It was a transfer that obliterated anything else the club had done in the market, it was a statement from Arsenal that the days of austerity were over - that the benefits of leaving the club’s magnificent and spiritual home of Highbury were about to be realised.
The excitement levels were off the charts, hundreds of fans celebrated in the streets surrounding the Emirates in front of television cameras when the news came through that the deal had been completed.That excitement only increased when, within 11 minutes of his debut, Ozil had sparked a 3-1 win at Sunderland with a trademark assist for Olivier Giroud.But now, wind the clock forward just over four years, that excitement has all but fizzled out. It has instead been replaced with the general acceptance from many that Ozil will be leaving the club at the end of this season - and Arsenal will not receive a single penny for him.
Contract talks over the past 18 months have failed to reach a successful conclusion and the German is now in the final year of the deal he signed when he arrived from Madrid and he will walk away on a free next summer - potentially to Manchester United of all places.
How on earth has this been allowed to happen? How have Arsenal failed to get Ozil - a player who has long voiced his love of living in London - to agree to prolong his stay?Well there are several reasons of course, but the route of it all can be traced back to the summer of 2015 - the infamous ‘summer of Cech’.Arsenal had just won the FA Cup for a second successive time - meaning Ozil had picked up major trophies in each of his first two seasons in north London. Alexis Sanchez had arrived a year earlier and the club looked set to really kick on and mount a serious, prolonged assault on the title.It was a key summer, one that many expected would see Arsenal push the boat out and strengthen significantly in a bid to close the gap on the likes of Chelsea, who had finished 12 points above them as champions.
Ozil expected it, Sanchez expected it - but what happened? Nothing, other than the arrival of goalkeeper Cech, ironically enough from the Blues. Arsenal were the only club that summer not to sign a single senior outfield player.It was viewed by many as a clear sign that, when push came to shove, Arsenal were not serious in terms of doing what was needed to challenge for the title.Ozil was superb that following season, but in the end Arsenal finished second, 10 points behind surprise package champions Leicester - their best chance of winning the title had slipped away following a limp end to the campaign. The loss of Santi Cazorla and the lack of cover having not invested was key.That summer, after the FA Cup victory against Villa, was when Arsenal really started to get negotiations underway with Ozil and Sanchez. Both camps indicated they were open to extending, but now - two years down the line, the contracts remain unsigned.
And the reason for that can be all be traced back to that summer of 2015. Arsenal simply did not invest when they should have and it sent out the wrong message to their two star men.Ozil’s story since is somewhat different to Sanchez, however, as the German has publicly stated on more than once occasion how he is happy in London and that he would be keen on signing a new deal - something Sanchez has never done.I spoke to him before the start of the current campaign while Arsenal were in Australia and he told me face to face that his preference was to sign a new deal. “Definitely,” he said. “It is such a great club, I’ve always said I feel very well at Arsenal.”Yet despite saying that back in July, he has still not signed a contract extension and talks have now ‘slowed’ according to Arsene Wenger.
Ever since he arrived in England, Ozil has been a player who has divided opinions. Worshipped by some, derided by others for being lazy. His body language on the pitch is always a matter debate, with many pundits slamming his lackadaisical manner - especially away from the EmiratesBut then those taunts can be silenced by the facts. In his four years at Arsenal, Ozil tops almost every chart there is when it comes creating chances - and that is what he is in the side to do.Despite those impressive numbers, however, there is a growing belief that Arsenal could be better off without their mercurial German - something that seems remarkable considering the fanfare that greeted his arrival.Wenger’s side have been without the German in recent weeks due to a knee injury and they flourished in his absence, winning six of their last seven games in all competitions - recovering well from their dreadful start to the season.
They are still creating chances, still scoring goals and at Chelsea they produced the sort of away display against a top team in the Premier League that hasn’t been seen since the Santi Cazorla inspired victory at Manchester City in 2015 - and they did it without Ozil and Sanchez, although the latter came off the bench in the second half.Arsenal had Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck playing in the roles behind the striker and they played an important part in a solid, tactical team performance that saw Arsenal shade the contest away at the champions.It’s performances like that which have led to many suggesting losing Ozil would not be the worst thing, even on a free transfer. Just this week Martin Keown said: “They played exceptionally well at Chelsea, where [Alex] Iwobi did a really manful job."I know he hasn’t got the talent of Ozil, of course, but suddenly Arsenal could compete in both departments defensively and attacking -wise. It was probably the best performance I’ve seen in a couple of years.
“I was really impressed and it seemed like every player was giving their best. Sanchez is different. He loves playing football, just give him a ball and he’ll play and that’s all he wants to do.“But Ozil, I think he’s downed tools, he wants to go and it’s going to get messy.”The suggestion that Ozil has ‘downed tools’ is a strong one, especially given he has had to pull out of Germany’s international games this week due to the knee problem which has seen him ruled out for Arsenal.But it’s just another indication of how Ozil’s time at the Emirates appears to be drawing towards a fairly undignified end - one that few would have predicted when he arrived in such headline-making style back in 2013.
The German still has his army of fans and he remains as savvy on social media as ever. While there are many that doubt his quality, no-one can deny that the German’s PR game is as strong as any footballers on the planet.But - with Manchester United circling - Ozil’s PR department may have to go into overdrive in the summer because, should the German opt to link up once again with Jose Mourinho, the fall-out will be huge.The relationship between Ozil and Arsenal was one that promised so much, but right now it seems to unravelling towards a disappointing and unfulfilled divorce. Should he rock up at Old Trafford in the summer, the worst could yet be to come.
From: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mesut-ozil-never-quite-fulfilled-11293654