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Arsenal Should Hold Off On New Mesut Ozil Contract

By Josh Sippie

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Arsene Wenger is all about faith in his players. He believes in the collection that he has established and he will put the ball at their feet and let them prove their own worth. Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott have all signed extensions recently and it looks like Mesut Ozil will be next. 

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However, now is not the best time for Arsene Wenger to throw another contract at their highest-paid star. Ozil is not really in danger of leaving. At least it does not seem logical. Fenerbahce continue to tap on Ozil’s door but Arsenal are set in their German star. If Cesc Fabregas’ potential return was not enough to push him out the door, then neither is some interest from a Turkish squad.

Fenerbahce are reportedly willing to to offer upwards of £30 million for the midfielder, but that will not be enough to pry him away from Arsenal.

All that being said, this could be a fantastic chance to make a point. I have already noted that Arsene Wenger usually does not manipulate situations to make points, but this opportunity is golden. With speculation about Mesut Ozil’s exit persisting, throwing a new contract at him would tie him down. That would be that. Welcome back, complacency. But by holding off on the new deal, Arsenal would not necessarily be playing into the new rumors, but they would allow for even the slightest bit of second-guessing.

As we saw from Mathieu Flamini, sometimes a little extra push can make all the difference. You can bet that Flamini felt out of the squad and he probably still does. But he played with urgency. Maybe a little speculation can kick Mesut Ozil into gear. 

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Again, the likelihood of Wenger making an example of Ozil, even in these tame circumstances, are slim to none. But Arsenal need to start adding a little chaos into their stars’ lives. They cannot keep feeling complacent and calm in their positions. Arsene Wenger is opting to use faith in his squad as motivation and that is well and good. But when that goes wrong, you need a back up plan. You need an extra dose of motivation for when the players know they have your faith, but also know that there is no threat to their standing.

Giving Mesut Ozil a new contract may be well-deserved. Ozil has looked good at times this year. But it would also reinforce the point that everyone on this team is safe. No one is in danger of being sold or of losing their spot. That is the last thing Arsenal need. They need some instability. They need a little shake-up. Mathieu Flamini got the ball rolling. They need someone to keep the roll going.

Next: Flamini did something no one else could

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