Arsenal: To sell Mesut Ozil or not to sell Mesut Ozil, that is the question

Arsenal have a decision to make with Mesut Ozi this summer, but for as odd as this year has been, the decision-making process is going to be odder yet.

Two months ago, everyone knew that Mesut Ozil was going to leave this summer. His place at Arsenal was clearly forfeit, he wasn’t gelling with Unai Emery and he’s a serious footballer – you don’t just stuff him on the bench and expect him to hang around for a paycheck.

But things have changed recently. As Emery has given Ozil yet another shot to make an impact in the first team before the year is up, the German has responded by doing just that – making an impact. With the 3-5-2 formation, Ozil has been an absolute dream, and we probably haven’t seen the last of it either, as it looks to be a solid enough formation to ride for the foreseeable future.

Which raises the question of how much all of this changes the status of Mesut Ozil’s future. Because he seems to be caught in this strange zone between being someone we absolutely must sell, and being someone we absolutely cannot sell.

On the one hand, no one is ever going to say that Ozil fits the Emery way. That’s been clear all year and no matter how well he does for the remainder of the season, he isn’t an Emery-type player. We all know that.

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So all of this might just be padding any transfer value we’re hoping to get out of him as we push towards an inevitable outcome – the one we assumed was going to happen when he wasn’t even a part of the team.

And if that’s what’s happening here, we can’t even be mad. It’s smart business. Emery knows how fantastic Ozil is (everyone does) so utilizing him with the hopes of increasing transfer value is a smart play.

But it also may be the complete opposite. It may be that, despite not being the typical Emery player, that Ozil is now playing a role that no other can play. Because now, more than ever, we have a need for a No. 10 who does well with freedom and space and Ozil is exactly that. Especially with Ramsey leaving.

The thing is, just because the 3-5-2 is working now doesn’t mean it always will work. Plus, we know how much Emery changes things up. Ozil is not going to be a must-start ever again. That’s not an Emery thing. But he can still be a huge piece of the puzzle.

The question is whether or not that contract is worth keeping someone whose role at the club isn’t as big as the contract indicates it should be. But for now, until we see more of Ozil (and probably even once we do), it’s hard to say one way or the other if he will be sold or if he should absolutely not be.