Will Mesut Ozil stay at Arsenal beyond this summer?

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has stated that talks will take place soon about his future

Arsenal look set for a potential major summer of change. From all the evidence it seems that veteran French boss Arsene Wenger is set to extend his stay in north London.

However, elsewhere it seems that the Gunners top scorer and star forward Alexis Sanchez is frustrated and wants out.

With just 12 months left on his contract in the summer, it would be no surprise if the Gunners cashed in and the Chilean left for pastures new.

Ozil to decide soon on his future

The other story that seems to have dominated the headlines about Arsenal is the contract situation of Mesut Ozil. Like Sanchez, the German playmaker will have just 12 months left on his deal in the summer.

For a while, it seemed like Ozil was set to leave. The German has now stated that he will talk soon with the club and make a decision on his future. He told German publication Die Welt: “Do you think Arsene Wenger tells the journalists [about my future] before he tells me? I know him differently.

“I have a contract until 2018 in London and I feel very comfortable there. We’ll talk soon and then make a decision.

“My dream is to win the Champions League. Why not with Arsenal? Of course, we just have a difficult time and are not satisfied with sixth place. I am convinced, however, that we will catch up again soon. Let’s see what the future holds.”

Those do not sound like the words of a man who is looking at exiting the club in the near future. If anything the statement suggests that he is staying at the club, for now at least anyway.

Ozil has blown hot and cold at Arsenal

Mesut Ozil has experienced mixed fortunes at Arsenal since joining for a club record fee of £42.5million from Real Madrid in 2013. He has at times looked like a silky and skilful player, who makes creating and scoring goals look very easy.

However, that is part of the problem. Ozil is highly regarded when he is producing the goods. When he is not producing an end product people question his work-rate. His style has never been the most energetic and he will never have the same energy of teammate Alexis Sanchez.

On his day, though, Ozil is a fantastic footballer to watch. He can be a match winner on his day. Unfortunately for the German star, he has not had enough of those days in an Arsenal shirt for the fans liking.

He was fantastic in the first half of last season, but then his form dipped and this season has not been great either.

Ozil has failed to produce a goal or assist in his last three Premier League appearances. In fact, the playmaker has produced just three assists in his last 11 league appearances.

For such a highly-rated player those are poor numbers. He was the European assist king for around five years earlier in his career. However, much of that time was spent playing in a high-quality Real Madrid team.

This Arsenal team is nowhere as good as that team. Maybe Ozil is frustrated by his teammate’s poorness, but unlikely Sanchez, who is very open with his emotions, keeps quiet about it.

Hopeful of return to form

Mesut Ozil has recently been missing from the starting line-up through a back injury. However, he has proven his fitness while away on international duty with Germany coming on as a substitute in Die Mannschaft’s 4-1 win in Azerbaijan.

With Arsenal now facing another battle for a top four finish, a goal the Gunners are odds of 3/1 to achieve, they need Ozil to rediscover the form he showed in the first half of last season.

The playmaker has so much quality. However, at times he has flattered to deceive in an Arsenal shirt. No matter what the future holds for both parties, he must be trying his hardest for the Gunners cause for the rest of the campaign.

If he then moves on in the summer, he moves on. No player is irreplaceable and Ozil is no exception. Mesut Ozil has not been a complete success at Arsenal. However, I am sure the majority of Gunners fans hope he stays and is plying his trade in north London next season.

Will Mesut Ozil stay at Arsenal beyond this summer?