Arsenal: Subsidising Mesut Ozil a necessary evil

Arsenal are reportedly willing to subsidise a transfer to offload Mesut Ozil in any way possible. It is not ideal, but it is a necessary evil that should be taken.

Arsenal have a £350,000-a-week problem. His name is Mesut Ozil.

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Ozil is a tremendous footballer. He plays in a style unique to himself, with a creativity unrivalled by any in the squad, a quality that few in the world can boast to share. But he does not produce as his talent implies, or as his wages demand. As a result, harsh decisions must be made.

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Patience has grown thin with the German. For all of his potential a world-class talent, his production has never lived up to the hype — or at the very best, it has done in fleeting moments. And it seems as though Arsenal, this summer, are desperate cut ties, any way possible.

According to the Daily Mail, the Gunners are considering the possibility of subsidising Ozil’s wages as they look to sell him. Interest has reportedly been thin on the ground, with the £350,000-a-week stumbling block difficult for many teams to overcome.

Add in his inconsistent performances and availability over the past two years and it is easy to see why many teams are not interested in taking him on board. Furthering to that point, the game has evolved. It is more athletically imprinted and physically demanding than it has ever been. Ozil does not fit, and you are paying £350,000-a-week for the privilege.

That is the sticky situation that Arsenal are presently in. They have a player they do not want that they cannot sell and a massive wage blowing their whole structure out of the water. Such conditions require major surgery, and sometimes that means rather egregious actions must be taken.

There will be some who scoff at the idea of paying for Ozil to play for a different team. But even if Emery asked the club to play half of Ozil’s wages, that would free up £175,000-a-week to spend on another player, one who can be substantially more productive and effective than what Ozil has been, which, incidentally, is not very hard.

The other option is to hand him off for nothing, if anyone would be willing to take him. Yes, Ozil may be worth far more than that, perhaps as much as £30 or £40 million in the right situation, but this is far from the right situation for that. The club must make difficult decisions as a result.

It is not perfect, far from it. In fact, is in inherently unwise. But Unai Emery and the club are in an imperfect situation, and that requires imperfect solutions. It is, sadly, a necessary evil.