German is highest earner at Arsenal on £350,000 a week and has one year left on his contract
Monday 27 July 2020 15:41, UK
Mesut Ozil is facing an uncertain future after being frozen out at Arsenal.
Ozil did not play for Arsenal after the season restarted last month and he was missing again from Arsenal's squad for Sunday's 3-2 win against Watford.
Head coach Mikel Areta has been reluctant to talk about Ozil in public. Arteta said Ozil missed the first game back against Manchester City for tactical reasons and he is said to have not featured in subsequent squads because of a back injury.
Ozil is the highest earner at Arsenal on £350,000 a week and he has only one year left on his contract.
It is no secret Arsenal would like to get Ozil's mammoth wages off their wage book and the German has been linked with moves to Turkey and the USA in recent weeks, although he has reportedly turned down an offer from Fenerbahce.
Ozil made 23 competitive appearances for the Gunners in all competitions in the 2019/20 season and scored one goal.
Analysis from Oliver Yew
Arteta has appeared to draw a line under the saga. Ozil, who has a year left on his Arsenal contract, does not look to be part of the Spaniard's plans.
Will Arteta's strong management be enough to convince the German it is time to leave the Emirates Stadium? Are there even any clubs interested in signing him and paying his mammoth wages after the financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic? Will Arsenal even pay some of his wages to finally get the World Cup winner away from the club?
These are the questions the Gunners will finally hope to have answers to as they look to solve their Ozil conundrum.
One man who could potentially fill the void Ozil would leave is Dani Ceballos. The midfielder is currently only on loan at Arsenal from real Madrid but Arteta has confirmed the two clubs are already "in communication".
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5. A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms.
