“I Feel It Is A Waste” Wenger Raises Doubts Over Arsenal’s Decision To Freeze Out Midfielder

“I Feel It Is A Waste” Wenger Raises Doubts Over Arsenal’s Decision To Freeze Out Midfielder

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels Mesut Ozil’s talent is going to waste after being frozen out at the Emirates.

The 31-year-old has not played since the beginning of lockdown back in March, despite being available for selection, and Wenger is disappointed that the Gunners are not making better use of a very talented player:


“I feel it is a waste for him. 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.”

“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 does point out one of the reasons why manager Mikel Arteta is not using him. Ozil is very much a ‘luxury player’ who is not particularly adept at tracking back or playing his part in a high pressing system.

However, there are believed to be a number of other factors that have led to the German being sidelined by Arteta. The club have been trying to get his sizeable wages off the books for a while and recent reports have suggested that the player turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia. It appears his final season at the club will be spent in the stands before he departs on a free transfer next year.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.