Arsenal midfielder’s new deal looked like a shrewd bit of trade, but things have turned sour and very expensive under new boss Unai Emery
When Arsenal tied Mesut Ozil down to a new contract last January, it looked like some of the best business of the window.
It came at some cost a deal worth £62 million ($80 million/€71 million) over three and a half years, but the German made a strong case for being worth it before the season was over.
He went on to chip in with one goal and seven assists in 13 games, helping Arsenal reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.
However, fast forward just over 12 months and the deal could not be viewed in a more different light.
Under new boss Unai Emery, Ozil has been a peripheral figure, playing just 19 of 39 games and contributing just four goals and two assists as a result.
It’s turned his contract renewal into a laughing stock of a decision, with the powers above wrongly assuming the midfielder would be as key to Emery’s plans as he was to Arsene Wenger’s.
Emery continues to play down the controversial situation, insisting Ozil is important as he is Arsenal’s fourth captain, while explaining that the treatment is to bring the best out of the 30-year-old.
“At certain times, you have to provoke friction with footballers,” the manager said. “From that friction, you can get something more out of them, something from inside, a greater sense of ambition or maybe even a complaint – a complaint regarding the team can be positive.
Arsene Wenger suggested recently that Ozil’s new contract may mean he is too comfortable at the Emirates.
What will happen next in this ongoing saga is anyone’s guess, with it becoming more and more unpredictable by the day.
But one thing is for sure; it is going to continue to cost Arsenal far more than it is worth.