KEY POINTS

  • Arteta benched Ozil, wary he was not in top form
  • Arteta considers Ozil a vital player for Chelsea FC
  • Ozil may be loaned next season due to financial issues

Mesut Ozil was benched by Mikel Arteta when Arsenal FC faced Manchester City recently. The move drew criticism, especially since the Gunners lost against the Citizens 3-0. Arteta explained that the reason behind the benching was tactical. Now, a better understanding of why the Spanish coach opted for that move is out in the open.

The 38-year-old coach felt that Ozil was not sharp enough and wanted him to work on that in training, Daily Mail reported. Ozil was left out of the 20-man squad Wednesday (June 17) in a forgettable return to football action for the Gunners. As for Ozil, Arteta also explained that the German is still considered a vital part of the team. But that could be only until this season with the Gunners dealing with financial issues.

As mentioned in a previous post, Ozil has a $432,000 per week paycheck. Being left out against City came a bit of a surprise for most considering the 31-year-old had been performing well before the COVID-19 break. At least for the rest of the season, it may be safe to say that Ozil will play on. But once the Gunners' current campaign ends, there are a lot of questions on the table.

It is no secret that Arteta is trying to infuse young blood into the club and is keeping players who have performed remarkably. Ozil is one of them, but his salary is something that may push Arsenal to resort to other things. He does have a year left in his current deal and the chances of Ozil moving out this summer is low. No club has expressed interest as of this writing, meaning he is likely to play out (or sit) the remainder of his deal. The best-case scenario right now is to offer him on loan to other teams with Arsenal covering a portion of his salary.

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil reacts to his substitution during the English Premier League football match against Manchester City. China's state media cancelled coverage of the match because of Ozil's criticism of Beijing's treatment of its Uighur minority
Arsenal's Mesut Ozil reacts to his substitution during the English Premier League football match against Manchester City. China's state media cancelled coverage of the match because of Ozil's criticism of Beijing's treatment of its Uighur minority AFP / Ben STANSALL

The move of Ozil needs no elaboration. He is aware that at his age and with the coronavirus pandemic affecting the finances of clubs, the German is unlikely to get a better deal for now. His best chances would be next summer, assuming that the COVID-19 situation improves and teams can cover their losses.

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