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Tag: ozil

  • Arsenal great: Arteta right to bomb out Ozil

    Arsenal great: Arteta right to bomb out Ozil

    Arsenal great and former academy chief Liam Brady believes Mikel Arteta deserves greater control in the transfer market.

    But Brady feels there is no money to strengthen next month, while boss Arteta has wrestled back some control over signings.

    Speaking on the Keys and Gray podcast, he said: “(Raul) Sanllehi did buy the players. Arteta has much more say now.

    “When he came in, the model was that he would just coach the players. But he did well in his first few months and the team looked more organised. And I think they decided this is someone they can trust to buy the players.

    “Thomas Partey from Atletico is his big signing and that’s fair enough. But I do question why he went along with the Willian deal. I don’t think that’s helped his position.

    “However, apart from Partey, he’s not really had a go in the market.

    “To be honest, I don’t know where we go as we have wasted all this money. Liverpool hadn’t won the league for years, they hadn’t challenged.

    “When Jurgen Klopp took over, he had Philippe Coutinho to sell for £140m. He could then go and buy Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson – there’s not a situation like that at Arsenal.

    “It needs a major change. It’s going to take at least a couple of years to do it. I just hope Arteta can show he has the ability to turn it around.

    “I think the kids are up to it. With the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martinelli, they have the ability and character to pull us clear. My worries lie with the seniors.

    “Six or eight need to go. Granit Xhaka, Dani Ceballos, Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi, Pepe, Willian, David Luiz – I could probably name another three if I had the squad to hand.

    “And I don’t blame Arteta over Ozil. He gave Ozil plenty of chances and he performed for a couple of months. As did a few others who had question marks hanging over them. Luiz looked better. Xhaka looked better.

    “But Ozil just reverted back to type. He’s not a good guy in the dressing room, he’s not a good guy on the pitch. I have no problem with Mikel bombing him, none.

    “(Ivan) Gazidis should have let him go on a free three years ago and we should have spent what we are paying him over three years, £50m? – that we could have invested in a good young player instead of having him around the place.”

  • Arsenal outcast Ozil in ‘secret meeting’ with Turkish club

    Arsenal outcast Ozil in ‘secret meeting’ with Turkish club

    Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil is closing on a move to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.

    Ozil is closing in on a move to Fenerbahce after holding a secret meeting with the club’s bosses in London, says BILD.

    The midfielder has not played since March after Mikel Arteta decided to leave him out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads.

    The Gunners have been desperate to shed his £350,000-per-week wages and a move could finally be on the cards.

    The 32-year-old held talks with Fenerbahce chiefs in London.

    A move would only be possible in the summer, rather than January, and that the midfielder would take a wage cut of £200,000-per-week to sign with the Super Lig side.

  • Ozil admits ‘many at Arsenal’ missing Wenger

    Ozil admits ‘many at Arsenal’ missing Wenger

    Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil says many at the club are missing former manager Arsene Wenger.

    Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has failed to register Ozil for both the Premier League and Europa League this season.

    Asked whether he considers Wenger a father figure during a Twitter Q&A, Ozil responded: “He was really a fantastic manager – yeah, and also like a father figure for me and many other players…

    “I think many people around Arsenal are really missing him.”

    Wenger was one of the key reasons Ozil opted to leave Real Madrid for Arsenal seven-and-a-half years ago in a £42.5million deadline-day transfer.

  • Mikel and I have spoken to Ozil – Arsenal chief

    Mikel and I have spoken to Ozil – Arsenal chief

    Arsenal chief Edu has hinted they’re trying to reach an agreement with outcast Mesut Ozil.

    World Cup winner Ozil has been left out of Arsenal’s squad for both the Premier League and Europa League despite being the club’s highest earner on £350,000-a-week.

    Edu admitted it would be a quiet January market for Arsenal but Ozil’s contract expires in the summer and they have held talks with the German midfielder looking set to leave at the end of the season.

    Edu said: “I talked to him, Mikel talked to his agent, I talked to his agent about some possibilities, not fighting, just some things to try and help each other. The way we see his future at the club, the way we see him here. It’s quite clear.

    “What makes me feel comfortable, which we treat the situation, man to man, no-one hides anything, and Mikel explained to you guys a lot.

    “People might start to ask: ‘what are you going to do in the winter window?’ Of course we will try to do something but, listen, we have the responsibility to change it. Don’t wait for someone outside to come inside and be a magician because that’s not going to happen.

    “Or if you can sign 20 players – which we’re mot going to do – but that’s not going to work anyway. So the main problem, the main thing for me, is that we, as a club, has to understand our problem. Here. That’s it. Believe, because we believe. I believe.

    “If you see our squad, to be fair, we have a strong squad. A fit Thomas, if Willian starts to perform like he always performs. If Lacazette, Aubameyang. If you see our squad, we are strong, but they depend on us.

    “Why people have to expect a magician to go ‘boom! Come here, Messi! Boom!’ No. It depends on us. No, we have to take this responsibility, it’s not about me, not about Mikel, it’s not Leno, it’s not Laca, it’s our responsibility to change it.”

  • MLS club leading race to sign Mesut Ozil

    MLS club leading race to sign Mesut Ozil

    DC United are emerging as a surprise destination for Arsenal star Mesut Ozil.

    The German is frozen out of the team by Mikel Arteta at the London club.

    His contract runs out in the summer, and he will then look for his next team.

    Two outlets in Turkey have run reports linking the 32-year-old to DC United.

    They claim the offer from the MLS club is the most serious one he has received.

    However, there has been no confirmation on the DC United end.

    It is unclear if the club is being used to get Ozil a new team, or their interest in him is genuine.

  • Arsenal outcast Ozil confident of finding another EPL club

    Arsenal outcast Ozil confident of finding another EPL club

    Mesut Ozil is preparing to leave Arsenal.

    The Mirror says he expects to sit out the season before departing in June when his contract expires.

    Ozil is determined to resurrect his career and, as a free agent, is hoping there will be strong interest in him – and could even be an attractive signing for another Premier League club.

    He would be unlikely to get the same sort of money as he is on now but his quality and experience could still be an attractive proposition.

    Ozil has made it clear he wants to stay and fight for his place, does not want to leave in January and his £350,000-a-week contract includes loyalty bonuses and incentives for him staying.

  • Arsenal goalkeeper Leno defends outcast Ozil

    Arsenal goalkeeper Leno defends outcast Ozil

    Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno has jumped to the defence of Mesut Ozil, insisting the Gunners outcast is “absolutely loyal” and “still a part of the team”.

    Ozil’s seven-year stay at Arsenal appears to be drawing to a close, with there little sign of the playmaker being offered the chance to extend his stay at Emirates Stadium beyond June 2021.

    The former Germany international hasn’t played for the Gunners since March, and was left out of Mikel Arteta’s latest Premier League and Europa League squads, despite being in peak physical condition.

    Leno has been impressed with how the experienced schemer has dealt with his situation, and still sees him as a valuable member of the squad regardless of whether or not he ever plays for the club again.

    “Mesut is still a part of the team and trains with us,” Leno told BILD .

    “He is absolutely professional, both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

    “Obviously it’s a disappointing situation for him, but Mesut handles it well and is absolutely loyal.”

  • Arsenal great demands Arteta to recall Ozil

    Arsenal great demands Arteta to recall Ozil

    Arsenal great Tony Adams insists Mesut Ozil can still have a future with the Gunners.

    Adams has urged Arteta to bring Mesut Ozil back into the first-team fold at Arsenal, suggesting the German can be the “cherry on the cake”.

    “Ozil for me is one of the best creative players in the world,” Adams said on Sky Sports’ The Football Show. “What he struggles with at times is the defensive side.

    “To win the league we need great players, like Dennis Bergkamp. Now and again I would ask Dennis to get back in behind the ball and just do a little bit for us. That’s all Ozil needs to do.

    “But when you’re putting him on the sides and asking him to go with runners, he’s not got that in him. But with [Thomas] Partey he’s got someone who can [do that].”

  • EPL: Arteta must fix Ozil situation – Henry

    EPL: Arteta must fix Ozil situation – Henry

    Montreal Impact coach Thierry Henry has praised the work of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

    But Henry says he needs to clear up the Mesut Ozil “case”.

    Assessing Arsenal’s recent managerial appointments, Henry told CBS Sports: “So now it was Unai Emery and now Mikel Arteta.

    “It’s not easy to go after Arsene Wenger. It’s not easy at all. With Mikel, I see that the passion is back, a certain happiness is back, he gives them a good solidity.

    “Now he needs to deal with Ozil case and other cases, but that doesn’t happen overnight.

    “When you’re in a team with someone, you need to make sure you can clear some stuff, because it just doesn’t happen overnight.

    “So he needs to bring in players he needs to fit his system and that takes time. And on top of that, this league takes even more time because the competition is crazy.”

  • EPL: I tried my best with Ozil – Arteta

    EPL: I tried my best with Ozil – Arteta

    Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insists he “tried his best” to resurrect Mesut Ozil’s career and was “patient” and “fair” in his treatment of the German midfielder.

    Ozil has been omitted from the Gunners’ Premier League and Europa League squads and it appears unlikely he will ever feature for the club again.

    “What I can tell you that I tried my best, I tried to give him as many opportunities as I could,” the Arsenal boss told Sky Sports.

    “And that from my own side, I’ve been patient, given him opportunities and been fair.

    “He’s a player that belongs to a football club, he’s been a really important player in the last few seasons. I have to respect that, I’m here to make decisions, the best decisions for the team and for the club.

    “This is what I try to do and then I have to explain them because people need the reasons and the right answers. I just give mine, whether they believe me or agree with me or not, there’s nothing I can do.

    “But I have to put my decisions, with my heart and with my brain to make the right decisions that I believe are good.”