Is Ozil set to leave Arsenal?

Mesut Ozil is out of contract at the end of this season and could leave Arsenal. When the German midfielder joined Arsenal back in 2013, many fans and much of the media hailed the former Real Madrid midfielder as the answer to their problems – but it hasn’t worked out like that.

After signing for the Gunners, Ozil told the press that he joined because the London club gave him the respect that Real Madrid didn’t. Recently, there have similar rumblings in the press, with rumours suggesting Ozil resents being treated like a “pawn”.

So what’s the truth – is Ozil set to leave or will he sign a new contract to see out the rest of his career at the Emirates?

Signs he’ll stay at Arsenal

Ozil has said explicitly that he’s focused on giving “everything” to help Arsenal succeed. He has also told fans, via his Twitter account, to “ignore the noise” surrounding proposed moves to Manchester United and Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger insists that Ozil remains “100 per cent committed to the club”. His commanding performance in the 2-0 derby win against Tottenham Hotspur also gives lie to suggestions that Ozil has lost interest in playing for Arsenal. During that match, the German was central to the Gunners’ best attacking play and his perfectly-lofted free kick made teammate Mustafi’s opener.

After the derby win, Ozil showed pleasure at beating his team’s North-London rivals with a tweet exclaiming “YA GUNNERS YA. Massive derby win. NORTH LONDON IS RED.” The man-of-the-match performance and that tweet arguably show that Ozil is a man of his word when he says he’s ready to give his all for Arsenal.

Signs Ozil will call time on his Arsenal career

Lack of effort

Ozil is a great player, so if he puts in the odd great performance, that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to stay at Arsenal. More often than not this season, the midfielder has shown almost complete disinterest in performing for his current club.

It might be easy to argue that he’s just not the type of player who covers every blade of grass. Yet it seems like Ozil’s defensive frailties come through a lack of effort – he tends to just give up and quit. That is not the sign of a player who claims to give everything for his team.

Lack of contract talks

Despite the club’s claims that contract talks were “going well” back in October, it later emerged that Ozil and Arsenal have not engaged in contracts talks since March 2017. If a player consistently refuses to sign a new contract, that is surely a glaring sign that they want out. As a result, it would be no surprise to find Ozil top of the list of players likely to leave in Bookmaker Advisor’s betting tips.

Wenger also seems to be in the dark about Ozil’s future, saying that it is “possible” that Ozil could leave in January. Whether the 29-year old leaves in the new year or in the summer is a moot point; most signs suggest that Ozil’s future does indeed lie elsewhere.