Arsenal: Mesut Ozil Revelation Unveils The Key Cog

Mesut Ozil has stated that he will wait to sign a new contract until the future of Arsene Wenger is settled, unveiling the key cog in the Arsenal machine.

There are important seasons in all club’s history that have long-lasting effects, rippling through the future. The hiring of Arsene Wenger and his first year in North London is a prime example of a year that had an immeasurable influence on the future of Arsenal since then.

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This year is another one of those years for the Gunners. After being able to spend money in the transfer window thanks to the lessening financial restrictions with the move to the Emirates yet further into history, Wenger has positioned the club such that they can challenge for Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues and other honours for many years to come.

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However, the impending success that many hope and dream for, myself included, is uncertain, primarily thanks to the contracts of three important men. Much has been made of the continual delaying tactics that both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have used throughout the past 12 months, but in a recent interview with German magazine kicker, Ozil introduced a third aspect to the already muddy waters of contract negotiation:

"“I want to be clear on what Wenger is doing. I feel very, very happy at Arsenal and have shown the club that I am prepared to extend my contract. The fans want me to stay. Now it’s just down to the club. The club knows that I am, above all, here because of Arsene Wenger – who signed me and whose trust I have. The club also knows that I just want to be clear on what the manager will do.”"

The revelation unveils the unsurprising cog that the Arsenal machine centres on; Wenger. The 20-year manager is the face of the club. Everything that happens, every decision that is made comes through and ends with Wenger. He has shaped and moulded the club into his own image, an image that Ozil seems to enjoy playing in.

When signed from Real Madrid in 2013, Ozil heralded the role of Wenger in convincing him to move to an unfamiliar country, unfamiliar league and unfamiliar team. Wenger is clearly an influential and instrumental figure in Ozil’s footballing career thus far.

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He commands the respect of his players not through domineering, authoritarian leadership, but through the sheer weight of history. It is history that vindicates Wenger. Ozil is respectful of him and reverent to him primarily because of the great success that Wenger has orchestrated in his 20 years in England. He is still the central cog in the Arsenal machine, a cog that at this point has a highly uncertain future.