Arsenal: Mesut Ozil Stalling On Contract Is Worrying

Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is set to stall on contract talks for the second time in 10 months. This is a problem that Arsenal must handle with care.

Arsenal’s best and most important player is unwilling to enter talks about a contract extension. This sounds worryingly familiar, and if history is to repeat itself, the outcome is not a beneficial one for the Gunners.

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Back when Cesc Fabregas was captain, his looming departure to Barcelona was inevitable for a long time before that. Fabregas was too good for this club like Ozil is too good for it now. It is a sad fact in life, that while Arsenal aren’t winning the league, world class talents like Mesut Ozil may well long for the where the grass is greener.

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This is where Arsenal find themselves, with Ozil stalling on contract talks again, delaying them until Germany’s Euro 2016 campaign is over. While this is a fair reason to delay the talks – Ozil has a right to demand a removal of all distractions during his country’s crucial quest to back up their 2014 World Cup victory – it suggests that the great German is beginning to ponder his options outside of North London.

That is a seriously troubling development for Arsenal. Just as the squad is coming to the climax of mounting a sustained, and possibly successful, title challenge, the best player, the heart and soul of the team, is wondering what he’d look like in a Barcelona jersey. Ozil is absolutely essential to the successes of this Arsenal side.

It is no coincidence that Arsenal’s season mirrored the performances of their creative force. The Gunners were the best team in the league up until the New Year, and likewise, Ozil was the Premier League’s star player. Since then, he was not able to live up to his billing and Arsenal suffered because of it.

If Arsenal are to end their Premier League title drought, building a system in which Ozil can flourish is the key. The very thought of him then leaving would derail such plans. Arsene Wenger clearly agrees, as evidenced by his aggressive pursuit of a contract extension.

He is notoriously relaxed when it comes to re-signing the club’s best players. It ultimately cost Arsenal the final years of Thierry Henry, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie with all three being sold with only a year left on their deals at the time. Such carelessness in contractual negotiations has not been seen here with Ozil.

Mesut still has two years of his contract remaining. However, such is his importance to the fate of the team that Wenger is keen to advance talks quickly and effectively. The Arsenal manager wants to lock Ozil up to a long term deal, keeping him at the club for the short and long term future. Wenger wants to plan around his record signing, and he is right to do so.

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Unfortunately, early signs indicate that Ozil may not be receptive to such an idea. Ozil is slowly drifting away from this club, and Arsenal need to be extremely careful in how they handle their dazzling diamond.