Arsenal: For now, Mesut Ozil makes them better

The future of Mesut Ozil is an unruly and uncertain subject, one that will be discussed greatly over the coming months. For now, though, one thing is certain: he makes Arsenal better.

Unai Emery, in his first season as Arsene Wenger’s successor at Arsenal, has not taken any prisoners this season. He has set his demands and expectations out in front of his players and he has not been afraid to drop any that do not satisfy them. And for no one has that been more difficult to adapt to than Mesut Ozil.

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The German playmaker is the highest-paid player in the squad, signing a bumper new £350,000-a-week contract last January. Any discussion involving his utility and future must be structured by this fact. Because of his eye-watering, budget-breaking wages, there is a looming discussion about the future of Ozil.

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He is now the wrong side of 30. He has missed approximately a third of matches since his arrival at Arsenal in 2013. He does not really fit with the more energetic, high-intensity style that Emery wants to implement. And yet, he is a uniquely brilliant player that would be extremely difficult to replace should he depart.

This awkwardness makes it very tricky to forecast whether selling him or keeping him would be a wise decision. In all honesty, no one really knows. And we will only know once the decision has been made and is played out over the coming years.

But perhaps the discussion of his future should be shelved for the time being. While the summer is nearing and plans must be made for the continued overhaul of the squad, plans that will be drastically impacted by whether Ozil stays or goes, there is still a season to be completed. And in it, Arsenal still have plenty of work to do.

The inclusion of Ozil in the starting XI undoubtedly provides the Gunners with the best chance of winning in the here and now. I have doubts about whether he should be committed to long-term, but with the current restrictions in alternative options and the undoubted quality of his creative play, there is no short-term argument to be made for not playing him on a regular basis.

As Nacho Monreal said this week, Ozil has endured a difficult season but his skill set makes Arsenal more dangerous:

"“Mesut had some small problems and he missed a few games, but he’s with the team again and he’s fighting. If you see him training or playing you can see that he’s completely committed to the team and that’s really good. He’s very important for us and he’s a top-quality player. He helps us a lot with assists and scoring goals. When the other teams see him on the pitch, they say, ‘Oh Mesut is here, we need to be careful’ so he’s an important player.”"

The remainder of the season is about finishing in the top four, winning the Europa League, and securing Champions League football for next season. Although I have long spouted that Emery should be making decisions with the long-term project in mind, for that project to be best achieved, Arsenal must regain Champions League football and the added financial boost it provides.

Between now and the end of the year, it is about Emery best preparing the team to win the next match. And invariably, that will include Ozil right at the very heart of it. The discussions about his future, for now, can wait.