Arsenal: Crucial Mesut Ozil decision deliciously imminent

Arsenal have to do something about Mesut Ozil, and they can’t put it off for much longer. This is a huge decision point for the club.

Mesut Ozil has found a resurgence under Mikel Arteta, such that I’m wondering what his Arsenal career might have looked like if we’d just hired Arteta sooner. Three straight matches, Ozil has looked reliable and like his old self.

Now, it’s just three matches. We still have to keep an eye on his progress and see if this is just a temporary uptick, but whatever the case, there’s no way around the massive decision making that’s just around the corner.

Ozil’s contract is up in 2021. Meaning that this winter and this coming summer are the vaulting points for whatever the shared future holds. At 31-years-old, and having spent some fairly dull years at the Emirates, we have to way this decision in every which way.

The main thing to think about is what this is all going to look like two years down the road. Do we still want Ozil at that point, as we cling to hope that we can get another good match out of him? Or do we want to skip all that and just revert to someone like Hakim Ziyech now?

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I think you all know my answer—whenever possible, you part with Ozil. If that’s this winter, do it. If that’s in the summer, fine. Just be ready when the opportunity presents itself.

The good news is that the sudden uptick in form may increase the salability of Ozil, who has, up until this point, been unsellable. It’s the main reason why he’s still here. I have no doubts that Unai Emery would have sold him if he could. It sure beat the massive schism their little feud caused.

There are alternatives, even if you believe that the No. 10 role isn’t dead (you romantic, you). As mentioned, Ziyech is out there, ready to join. Emile Smith Rowe is on the up. We just really need a direction that separates us from the ongoing dependency on the German international.

Thankfully, Arteta is a practical thinker. He’s worked wonders for a lot of these guys, but ideally that will just be a means to a happier ending.

We can appreciate Ozil in the here and now while still accepting that we need to part ways. And that decision can’t be put off for much longer.