Arsenal: £42 million for Mesut Ozil: Was he worth it?

Four years after completing the club-record £42 million transfer, Mesut Ozil is seemingly nearing an Arsenal exit. So, as one of the more divisive figures in the squad, of which the opinion ranges greatly, was he worth it or not?

As time passes by and the expiration of his contract nears, it is becoming more and more likely that Mesut Ozil is playing his final season for Arsenal. The German, who has, actually, hardly played this season, especially of late thanks to an inflammation to his knee, is expected to leave the club next summer, with no compensation coming the other way.

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Although there is still a chance that he and the Gunners could agree on a new contract before the end of the year, such is the unlikelihood of that happening, the question of where, and not if, he will go is a more poignant one.

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It is one that only time will answer. Arsene Wenger will be hoping that he chooses a foreign club, meaning that he does not join a domestic rival. However, he will have no power over the situation; it is utterly down to Ozil and his agent to make that decision. So, assuming that Ozil does leave, either in January or next summer, I believe that it’s fair to ponder: Was he worth it? Was he worth the club-record £42 million that were required to prise him away from Real Madrid?

Now, that is a question that is very much dependent on one’s own view of the influence of Ozil on the pitch. Some choose to see his creativity, his attacking prowess, and his assist-making; others choose to see his laziness, his lack of defensive work rate and awareness, and his poor goal production. All are justified vices and virtues.

So the question of whether Ozil is worth it or not centres on the willingness to compromise a player of industry for a player of quality.

Few would doubt the unique ability of Ozil. His incisive vision, his ingenuity, his precise and penetrative distribution. But, equally, few would doubt the defensive liability that he is to the side. He rarely presses high up the pitch, he does not track overlapping full-backs, and he is lapse and loose in his positioning, often allowing his mind to wander, rather than being attentive to the dangers at hand.

Personally, I am willing to deal with his lethargy and apathy, to build a side that is able to carry him, because of his ability in the final third. For that reason, I would argue that he has been worth the £42 million paid. However, an extremely valid argument can be made that, during his time at Arsenal, Wenger has neither been able or willing to ever do that, and, thus, he has failed to live up to his price.

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Ozil is an extremely divisive figure. Some love him; others hate him. However, he has been, bar Alexis Sanchez, the best player to take to an Arsenal shirt in recent seasons. And I, for one, am happy that the signing was made.