Arsenal: Mesut Ozil’s Value Has Deadened Since Real Madrid Move
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal figured to bring out the best in Mesut Ozil, but at this point, is it possible that his value has instead deadened with his inconsistencies?
Arsene Wenger has a profound impact on players. That is one of the main draws to come to Arsenal. He has a high likelihood of bringing out the best of his guys. Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Granit Xhaka all made the move in large part because Wenger was here and capable of taking their career one step further.
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Mesut Ozil was an 18 month disappointment when he first arrived, but he changed himself and grew into an amazing athlete last year. It’s one thing to register massive amounts of assists when you’re feeding the likes of Ronaldo, but it’s another thing to come to Arsenal, be the center of attention, and continue to do so.
Those 19 assists were amazing and stand as one of the best assisting years that any Premier League player has ever had. But I have to wonder if him falling short of 20 is symbolic of him falling short in general.
At Real Madrid, Ozil solidified himself as one of the best central midfielders in the game. For three straight years he registered double digit assists, notching over 20 in consecutive years.
Coming to Arsenal initially dented his image, but again, that 19 assist year pulled it back up, perhaps even elevating it past what he was able to build for himself at Real Madrid.
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Now, however, I wonder if things have changed. This is Ozil’s fourth year in North London and it is pretty clear that, barring something drastic, he isn’t going to follow up that standout campaign. He has shown some amazing promise this year, particularly in upping his goal tallies, but his gross inconsistencies are severely hurting his overall season tallies.
Assuming he is aiming for an exit, would it be so unrealistic to think that his value has actually taken a hit since his move to the Emirates?
He was purchased for a club record fee reaching over £40m and I cannot see the Gunners getting a similar amount if he turns around and moves to another club.
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I don’t want to sell Ozil short of what he has done, but the Premier League has not been kind to him. Aaron Ramsey had a fantastic solo year too, but we all know how that ended up. I just hope that Ozil isn’t going to do a Ramsey.