Arsenal: Mesut Ozil is not the top failsafe for Ramsey exit

Arsenal look to be parting ways with Aaron Ramsey, which means that Mesut Ozil stands as the man to inherit more responsibility, but is this really best?

After a decade with Arsenal, Aaron Ramsey looks to be leaving, after a series of haphazard (and later deleted posts) by Ramey’s agency confirmed that a deal had been brokered elsewhere and that Ramsey had no choice but to leave.

It’s all very sad news, and in the process of determining what happens next, it occurred to me that the man that stands to gain the most from his exit is Mesut Ozil. The German playmaker will be the sole No. 10 at the club now.

And so I have to ask – is this really the best way for the club to move forward? Do we trust Ozil any more than we trusted Ramsey? Together, at least we could hope that one or the other would step up, but in isolation, trusting in Ozil can be a dangerous prospect.

Which is why I’m proposing that we don’t turn to Mesut Ozil at all. Leave Ozil as he is, contributing in what capacity he can, but asking for him to step into a role requiring more responsibility doesn’t float my boat, and I hope it doesn’t float yours either.

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Instead, as alluded to in my previous article about Emile Smith Rowe, we need to turn to two youth options, pitting them against each other, with more first-team playing time to be awarded to the more in-form of the two.

Along with Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi could see an increase in usage, which is well-earned from his exploits this year. I have been asking Iwobi to replace everyone in the attack (literally, everyone), although I never meant to include Ramsey in that broad claim. Now that it is Ramsey that he could be replacing, I want him to fully and comprehensively replace him, without any extra needed from an unreliable Ozil and an iffy Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Replacements will likely be needed for Ramsey’s eventual exit, but maybe not. Smith Rowe and Iwobi are two immensely talented players who have the world of talent and a bright future ahead of them.

If either or both can prove themselves worthy, then I’m all about saving the money, trusting in youth, and giving a nice contract to a player we already have so we can avoid another situation like this in the future.

More youth, less Ozil. Or rather, more youth, the same Ozil. Don’t ask him to do any more than he is already doing.