Arsenal: Mesut Ozil is the perfect summer building block

Despite the growing fears of an impending departure, Mesut Ozil has signed a new three-and-a-half year deal to stay at Arsenal. The German is the perfect cornerstone for Arsene Wenger and the club to build on this summer.

The most surprising development of the chocked-full-of-surprises January transfer window was not even an actual transfer. It was not a departure; it was an addition. It was a retention, namely, the three-and-a-half year extension that Mesut Ozil signed to keep him at Arsenal until the summer of 2021.

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With just six months remaining on his former deal, it was expected that a Champions League-less Arsenal would lose their most prized possession. How wrong we all were!

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And now that he has committed his future, and the remainder of his prime, to the club, Arsene Wenger has thrown down the gauntlet to his German maestro. Speaking at his press conference on Friday morning, Wenger stated that he now expects to take on the responsibility as a leading member of the squad:

"“Overall it’s good news for us. When you look at the transfer market today, the fact that you can keep a player of that calibre is, of course, good news. The fact that he committed for a longer period shows as well that he will have to do that as well on the pitch and lead the team. He has committed his future to the club in a period where we are in a tricky position on that front, in qualifying for the Champions League. You expect that he becomes the leader and takes the responsibility to lead the team to success.”"

Certainly, Ozil is the type of player who is perfect to build around. Unlike his usual partner-in-crime, the now departed Alexis Sanchez, he does not play on the fringes of the game, every now and then bursting into life. He is at the heart of every sinew of the match, often leading the team in touches of the ball, always wanting to dictate play with a wonderful balance of control and creativity.

And while Arsenal were able to provide him with some significant weapons, namely Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, one of the most prolific centre-forwards of the past decade, they still have some serious holes that need to be addressed, especially towards the defensive side of the pitch. Centre-half, goalkeeper and a true, anchoring midfielder are all key shortcomings that need to be addressed.

It would have been nice to see some more recruits in January to improve these positions, especially in midfield, but that was inevitably not possible, or never the intention in the first place. Nevertheless, with Ozil now in the team, the perfect cornerstone to build upon in the summer window is in place.

Next: Arsenal Vs Everton: Predicted starting XI

The other issues that must be solved can be. But the priority was securing the future of the most creative player in world football. Now that that is done, everything can, hopefully, follow suit.