Ozil being wasted at Arsenal, says Wenger

11:48am on Tuesday 13th October 2020
By Martin Macdonald

Arsene Wenger believes Mesut Ozil's talents are currently being wasted at Arsenal.

Ozil remains Arsenal's highest earner, taking home a reported £350,000 per week.

However, despite the huge financial outplay given to the player, he has barely played under Mikel Arteta.

Since the 2019/20 Premier League campaign resumed in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and then into the new 2020/21 season, he has not been given a single minute of play on the pitch.

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He has also failed to even make the squad for any of Arsenal's opening handful of matches in the 2020/21 campaign, and was recently left out of their 25-man squad for the Europa League.

Arteta tends to play with a 3-4-3 formation or possibly a 4-3-3, which doesn't match Ozil's positional talent of playing in the number 10 role behind the striker.

Wenger, who signed the player for Arsenal, reckons Ozil is being left behind by how football is evolving into a more counterattack-based sport.

"I feel it is a waste for him," Wenger told BBC Sport about Ozil's lack of playing time.

"Firstly because he's in the years where a player of his talent can produce the most. And it's a waste for the club as well because he's a super talent, a creative talent that in the final third can create that killer pass.

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"The way football is going at the moment it's quick counter-pressing, quick transitions and everybody plays the same. It's kicked out players like Ozil. Although let's not forget who this guy is. A world champion who has played at Real Madrid.

Wenger hopes that Ozil can fight his way back into contention with Arteta.

"He's been the record player of assists, so you have to find a way to get him involved again," the Frenchman said.

Last week Ozil announced on Twitter his intention to pay the wages of popular club mascot, Jerry Quy (Gunnersaurus) who had been with the club for 27 years before being made redundant.

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