Back in 2013, in London, they believed that his arrival could be compared to the arrival of Thierry Henry. Six years ago, Arsenal paid 45 million euros to Real Madrid for the transfer of Mesut Özil, Cristiano Ronaldo's best partner in Mourinho's team. However, over time, the German midfielder turned out to be one of the worst bets for the Gunners. Özil has ceased to be that creative midfielder and is not even an alternative for Unai Emery in the current season in the Premier League and Europa League.
The situation is this: Özil has played only 71 minutes out of 720 possible in the English League. The German hasn't completed a full match, so the Spanish coach's message is clear: he has no place in the squad and it's better to find him another team for the winter transfer market. In fact, Emery proposed it to the midfielder, but Mesut preferred to stay and fight for a place.
How much does Arsenal pay Özil?
The problem, however, is the player's high salary. Özil is currently the highest paid in the squad. The 30-year-old midfielder earns 19.2 million euros per season, after renewing with the club in February of last year.
Thus, with a contract until mid-2021, the former Real Madrid and Werder Bremen player has no desire to leave London, as this is the last big contract he has in his professional career. Is it a bad bet by Arsenal? Definitely, especially knowing that Emery doesn't include him in his lineups and now he doesn't even have him on the bench.
Özil and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. (Photo: Getty Images)
What did Emery say about Özil?
"At every moment, I'm thinking about deciding the best players for each match and who can help us the most. When I decide that Özil shouldn't be in the team, it's because I think other players deserve it more," explained the coach last Thursday.
Özil's present is doomed: he will not play for Arsenal as long as Emery is in charge. He will have to find a new team along the way or train alone for the next two years. It will be his decision.
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