Arsenal: Okay, I’ll say it – why not just sell Mesut Ozil?

Arsenal have had an up-and-down partnership with Mesut Ozil, and Unai Emery casts further doubts. So why don’t we just up and sell the guy?

I feel like, given how much I’ve had to fight the good fight and defend Granit Xhaka from rabid Arsenal fans, after spending years defending Olivier Giroud from similarly rabid fans, that I’m now allowed to go off the cusp a bit and be a tad negative towards a current Gunner. So allow me to do so regarding Mesut Ozil.

Let’s set this up with a prequel: I think Ozil is a fantastic player that can do things that no other player can do. He is one of a kind and, literally, a magician. But, that being said, even the best players aren’t right for some clubs.

And I am here to posit the argument that Ozil is no longer right for the Gunners, and that selling him has never made more sense.

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For starters, Unai Emery has made it clear who he intends to build around – Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He didn’t even mention Mesut Ozil, but he did mention some more things that Ozil can’t be too excited about – heavy pressure, energy, enthusiasm on and off the ball.

I think that Ozil can do all of those things, but can he do them regularly, even when things are going poorly? I’m not so sure.

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That isn’t the main reason I feel like he should be sold, though. The main reason is that, if he doesn’t fit into the club’s philosophy and the new manager isn’t too interested in his presence with the squad, then why not cash in on one of our more valuable players and add a bit of funds to the minimal transfer kitty we currently have?

That money can then be reinvested into players that fit more along the lines of what Emery is trying to do here.

And let’s be honest, it’s not like Ozil has been untouchable these last few years. Ever since his 19 assist season (you may even call it a half season), he has hovered around the same production zone. While he creates a ton of chances, what he does around those chances is less than extraordinary.

The toughest part would be finding a potential suitor. We’d have to see a return of £50m or so on Ozil, I’d even settle for getting back what we paid for him, but that would essentially double the transfer pot, which, when put in the hands of crafty Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi, becomes a massive boost that can unlock so many more exciting opportunities.

But again, with Ozil just locking into a new deal, offloading may be tough.

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I love watching an inspired Ozil play, really I do. And it’d be sad to see him go. But we have to think big picture here, and big picture is there may be better ways to move forward than clinging to Ozil.