Mesut Ozil Wants to Stay with Arsenal as the Club Tries to Sell Him

Mesut Özil at the 2018 World Cup. Photo by Kieran McManus/BPI/REX/Shutterstock (9718623bq)

German midfielder Mesut Ozil isn’t willing to give Arsenal any break this summer. According to reports, Ozil wants to see out the end of his contract despite the club’s attempts to move him this summer.

Reportedly, Arsenal’s decision is based on financial reasons. The Premier League side is looking to rebuild their squad under the new manager Mikel Arteta and needs to find ways to free up funds for transfer moves. The easiest way to do so would be getting Ozil off their books, considering he is club’s highest earner with $435,000 weekly salary.

Ozil, on the other hand, isn’t ready to give up on his huge salary as it’s highly unlikely he could command such money elsewhere. Sources add that the 31-year-old midfielder also believes he can regain his previous form and is ready to fight for his place in the starting eleven.

Despite being one of Arsenal’s most important players at one point, Mesut Ozil has been going through some rough time since Arsene Wenger left the club. Ozil has been rarely used under Unai Emery and was ineffective even when he was on the field. He also clashed with the Spanish manager on several occasions which just pushed him further down the pecking order.

It appears that Ozil might receive similar treatment from Arteta, as he was left out of the squad against Manchester City on Wednesday due to “tactical reasons.”

Despite his struggles in recent years, there is still an array of interest in Ozil’s services. Several clubs expressed interest last summer, including the Turkish side Fenerbahce. One of the possible destinations for Ozil is also MLS, where Inter Miami and Los Angeles Galaxy reportedly showed strong interest. 

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