There can be no doubt that Arsene Wenger made a big splash financially to secure Mesut Ozil and a huge team move when you consider the influence the player has had over his fellow Gunners since arriving. Mesut Ozil is a highly recognisable player around the world as he is always working impeccably hard to constantly be improving as a player to help his team win. He is of course an assist-leading creator meaning Ozil on-form is one of the World’s top playmakers. In his 3rd campaign for Arsenal, he won the Arsenal Player of the Season award on the back of scoring 8 goals and providing 20 assists in all competitions.
Ozil signed for the Gunners just prior to the end of Deadline Day in 2013 signing for a reported fee of £42.5 million to leave Real Madrid and joined the Arsenal on a 5 year contract. In the current season (which is his 4th with Arsenal) Ozil has added more goals to his game as he has already scored 7 times including a hat-trick in the Champions League. Ozil is playing with a high level of confidence this year and it shows in his games for the club.
Real Madrid still have first refusal on Ozil if he should leave Arsenal and there would be bidding war for sure if he lets his contract run into the final year. Seemingly, the good news however according to reports in the Daily Star, is that the mega-skilful German World Cup winner is at the point where he is comfortable committing to playing for Wenger’s side for another 5 year contract which would give him a sizeable £160,0000-per-week. His monthly fees would add up to a whopping £42.4million over the duration of his new deal which would expire in the summer of 2021 and when compared to other players in his wage bracket he certainly looks like good value for money.
Wenger very much wants to tie down Ozil to another 5 year deal and for him to ignore the summer interest from Real in resigning him. Mesut has to be impressed with the way Arsenal are playing and most of the time he seems happy with his role in the side. The German must feel that they have a good chance to win major trophies, now that Wenger has added more real quality to the squad by not being so frugal in the transfer market this summer.
Speaking before Sunday’s North London Derby with Spurs, Wenger talked about club legend Dennis Bergkamp and that Ozil would need to sign another deal with the Gunners to have any chance of being revered as an Arsenal legend as the Dutchman is. Wenger said,
“There are similarities with Bergkamp. I think he can become a legend – if he commits.
“Dennis Bergkamp committed for a long period, played until he was 38.
“I wish we have ten more years of Ozil. That depends.
“To become a legend at the club you need to stay for a long time. If you stay two years, you would not be a legend.
“We work on it (the contract), we work on it.”
So it is very clear that Wenger and all at Arsenal would dearly love to see Mesut Ozil put pen to paper on another 5 year deal and the boss appears to think he can get a deal done with the German. The next order of business will be to get that other shining light, Alexis Sanchez to sign another long contract with the Gunners.