Arsenal: Selling Mesut Ozil has become pure blasphemy

Arsenal looked to be on the brink of selling both of their “new era” superstars, but now, even the mention of selling Mesut Ozil feels like heretical nonsense.

I believe it was in the first ever Pain in the Arsenal podcast that I vehemently expressed my opinion that Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil should both be sold as soon as humanly possible. Anyone who didn’t want to be with Arsenal, shouldn’t be here.

That changed pretty quick. Ozil, assumedly because he heard the podcast and did some soul-searching, seemed to change overnight. His demeanor changed, his spirits changed, his very facial expressions changed.

And just like that, he’s gone months now looking effective, deadly and, like his old magical self.

Going beyond that, he hasn’t just found his spectacular self, he has found a consistent self; a self that doesn’t have to dominate the game in order to be effective. He can be a good, solid contributor even if the game isn’t flowing to his every beck and call.

It used to be that there were no potential sales tying Ozil to an exit. That’s just how much he was struggling. There were loose rumors that mentioned Borussia Dortmund, vague links to Turkey and a stray Barcelona rumor, but nothing that felt real. Not with him about to leave for free in the summer, which we all assumed was going to happen.

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As with everything else, that changed. Now, a link to Barcelona is making the rounds, and the very thought of him being sold is akin to blasphemy.

It’s all linked, obviously. Ozil picks up his play and his apparent happiness, and his production and the links pick up, as does our desire to keep him.

Of course, it’s also testament to the fickle nature of fans (production converts the masses) as well as the frail state of the club itself. It is beyond obvious that the club is dying for someone to build around through the transitional phases to come.

I’ve always maintained, even through my intense criticism of of the German maestro, that no player is as enjoyable to watch then when Ozil is at the top of his game.

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The trick was to get him to the best. And if this new deal, or the rumors of the new deal, are what is giving him new life, than one of the biggest problems that we have can be solved just by announcing the deal.

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