Arsenal: Mesut Ozil contract announcement such an easy first step

Arsenal has had so much back and forth with the contract sagas this summer, but in Mesut Ozil’s case, this is all completely unnecessary.

Arsenal’s contract sagas have not gone well this summer. Both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil had looked on the verge of locking into new deals when they either went horribly south (the Ox) or disappeared completely (Ozil).

And I don’t need to say anything about Alexis Sanchez‘s situation, as Arsene Wenger has said plenty already.

It’s incredibly stressful to have three crucial players all on the verge of leaving the club for free next summer. You never want to take players into the final year of the contract, but that’s where we are, with three of our best players all on the brink.

With Alexis, I get it. He feels too good for the club because they missed the Champions League once in two decades. Whatever. That’s his deal.

With Oxlade-Chamberlain, I also somewhat get it. If he really can’t get first team assurances after being passed up so much in his career, then something needs to change.

With Ozil, I absolutely do not get it.

"It is definitely my preference to stay. It is such a great club and I have always said that I feel very good at Arsenal."

That is what Ozil said in the preseason, as quoted by the Guardian. Not a hint of doubt, not a speckle of concern. He wants to be here.

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The longer we don’t announce a contract with him, the more I wonder if Arsenal want him here. Because what else would be the cause for delay? If they are haggling over proper wages, then clearly it is all about the money. I don’t believe that Ozil would be unreasonable with his demands. Even if he wanted get up near £250,000 a week, how many of us would argue? I’m highly critical of the guy and I still want to see him sign the deal.

This is such a big first step, to get that first massive contract out of the way and it seems to easy. He wants to stay, the club presumably want him to stay. So stay. Make it official and see if the first domino doesn’t then go on to knock down several others.

I get that I don’t know everything that goes on in the contract negotiations, but the two biggest pieces of the puzzle are accounted for. And I have seen players sign deals much quicker than this with the same two pieces accounted for. Think Olivier Giroud.

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It would be such a relief. Such a wonderful thing to bank on. Ozil attracts other class players. He guides younger players like Reiss Nelson and Alex Iwobi. Locking him in does so much more than just improve the club on the pitch.

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