Does Mesut Özil Have a Future at Emery’s Arsenal?

Source: Mesut Özil via Facebook.

At the start of the season, the key question regarding Mesut Özil was what sort of future he would find in Unai Emery’s Arsenal, with fans intrigued to see how the German would fit into Emery’s tactical plans and what level of responsibility he would be afforded as a senior member in the squad. As we approach the January transfer window, that question has changed: Does Özil have a future at all in Unai Emery’s Arsenal?

Approaching the question on a purely numerical level would make it likely that Özil is to move on to pastures new in January or the summer. Özil has made appearances in 11 of Arsenal’s first 17 Premier League matches, scoring a respectable 3 goals. Yet Özil’s reputation was forged from his prodigious chance creation and the German has mustered just 1 assist and 2 key passes in those 11 matches.

There’s another – much bigger – number that makes a compelling case for Özil’s exit: £350,000. A player with that weekly salary has to be relied upon in the big matches, but Özil was completely absent from the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Such a huge weekly financial outlay on a player who is not even trusted in a big game like this for ‘tactical reasons’ is clearly not sustainable. Emery declared that the players he selected were better suited for the match, but the would-be midfield creator Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggled against Spurs.

If Emery wants to start with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, although he appears reluctant to do so with regularity, then Özil is the perfect player to play behind the pair. Whether in a 3-4-1-2 or in a 4-4-2 diamond, Özil’s vision and passing should be a dream for the deadly duo of strikers.

Source: Arsenal via Facebook.

Özil couldn’t even secure a place on the bench against Spurs, Emery choosing to call on hot prospect Eddie Nketiah in the 65^th minute in an attempt to change the game. While Nketiah has a bright future ahead of him, a peak Özil is a different proposition in the present. Emery must believe that this Özil is far from his peak level.

Arsenal are in a fiercely-contested battle to secure Champions League qualification for next season, and Emery needs to call on players that he trusts. The Gunners are well out of the title running, with Premier League winner odds of 325/1 with Paddy Power much bigger than Spurs’ 30/1 and Chelsea’s 50/1. Those are the two teams that Arsenal will need to overhaul to reach the top four, but that those two are perceived to have much greater title chances reflects the gap between the sides.

Perhaps Emery will consider investment in January imperative, and Özil’s departure would certainly free up some funds. Yet, this is a player who made it into The Guardian’s top 100 male footballers in 2018 in 99^th place; at his best, like he was in an imperious performance in the 3-1 win over Leicester, Özil is a player who can win football matches on his own.

If there are off-field disagreements or if Özil is failing to adhere to Emery’s tactical instructions, then his departure will be a formality. If his absence is purely for tactical reasons, then Emery surely needs to adapt to accommodate the supremely talented German.