Will Mezut Ozil be axed or is there a glorious comeback on the cards for the famed Gunners playmaker?
Mesut Özil not playing is perhaps an unfortunate piece of news Arsenal fans may have to get used to in the days to come. The latest bit of news from the Özil Daily is that he's offered to save the job of Gunnersaurus, Arsenal’s mascot. Jerry Quy, the man wearing the giant dinosaur costume for 27 years now, was laid off in an attempt to save some money in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the kind gesture might not be enough for him to save his career with the Gunners under Mikel Arteta.
Özil has missed quality football since the restart in June and has not featured in any of Arsenal's games so far. Much of the issue stems from Arsenal's wage cut proposal that he refused. While he earns £350,000 per week ($454,000), Özil stood by his decision. "Possibly the decision affected my chances on the pitch, I don’t know. But I’m not afraid to stand up for what I feel is right — and when you see what has happened now with the jobs, maybe I was," as per an Express report.
The most recent speculation doing the rounds is if the attacking midfielder could be axed. With the transfer window now closed, rules say the teams have until October 20 to share the 25-man roster that can have a maximin of 17 or a minimum eight home-grown players. In the case of Arteta, this means he needs to trim down the list by two players. Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers and Mustafi are yet to play a game between them this season due to injury.
With Özil not having had enough game time, it's is safe to speculate that his name might pop up when it comes to submitting the final list. If it does, then that's one sour relationship and the end of his journey with the Gunners. He has been an integral piece of Arsenal's setup since 2013 and his versatility was his major asset. To be honest, the club could actually use his services despite their recent successful run. He's an attacking and gifted playmaker.
Arsenal's style of play might have not been what it was after Arsene Wenger's departure in 2018, but in Özil, they have an offensive man who can crack the opposition defense and make way for the strikers. Agreed his style of play might not be in Arteta's vision and strategies, especially with the onus on pressing. However, there's no doubt of the value he adds to the unit. His contract ends next June. The one question remains: Is there room for one more glorious comeback?
Only time will tell. But for now, it's a wait not just for Özil, but for the fans as well.