Arsenal: Is Mesut Ozil still a superstar?

When Arsenal bought Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, they were the Gunners’ two superstars. But is Ozil still a superstar, or has he dropped a tier?

Arsenal were a superstar-less team while they were paying off the Emirates debt. They couldn’t afford the superstar price, and so they went without. No harm in that, but a team needs their go-to guys, and if those go-to guys are also superstars, the benefits are a bit hefty.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez were the first superstars to touch down at the Emirates. Life was meant to be a lot better than it turned out, but it wasn’t all bad. Three trophies is a nice haul, no matter what everyone else says.

But question is this – there’s no denying that Ozil was a superstar at Real Madrid, and when we signed him, he became our superstar, but is he still a superstar to this day?

I think we need to look at the stats first. When stacked up against other superstars, like Kevin De Bruyne for instance, Ozil has not been able to keep pace. That’s not to say he’s been ineffective, but he hasn’t been able to maintain his place at that tier of statistic effectiveness.

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He’s not getting worse. But he’s still frustratingly inconsistent. And that, to me, is the biggest strike against his current station as a player. A superstar doesn’t disappear, or if they do, they do rarely. Ozil’s disappearance, both when he struggles on the pitch and when he literally disappears with mystery illnesses, are a concern that weighs on whether or not he should still be considered a superstar.

On the other side, Ozil still does things that no one else can do. His intelligence on the ball is second to none, and that really does make him special. But a lot of players have a thing or two that make them special. Hell, Granit Xhaka has a fantastic long pass. But not even I will call him a superstar (yet).

Even Germany has weened themselves off of Ozil. He’s no longer the centerpiece that he was.

Yet I do think it is too early to dock him his superstar status. This year will tell all. There are rumors swirling that Unai Emery doesn’t have the biggest plans for Ozil, so if the time comes that Ozil still can’t produce the consistency that this club needs, he may well be set aside.

Next: Arsenal's End Of Season Player Rankings

And if that happens, I think we will know that he has fallen from superstardom. But until that time comes. It’s a bit premature. Rock on, Ozil.

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