Tony Adams has claimed that the signing of Mesut Ozil was an insult to Jack Wilshere.

  • Adams believes Wilshere is just as good as Ozil
  • Says the signing of Ozil was an insult to Wilshere
  • He questioned Ozil’s desire to win

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Adams questioned the signing of Mesut Ozil and said that it was an insult to Jack Wilshere.

“It was an insult to buy Mesut Ozil when we’ve got Jack Wilshere there, who is every bit as good,” Adams told Standard Sport.

“If I’d been Jack I’d have knocked on Arsene’s door and said ‘why the hell are you spending £40m on this player when I can do it just as well’.”

Adams has never been shy of sharing his opinions about Arsenal and why they’re doing everything wrong, though in this instance he barely has a leg to stand on.

The stats don’t lie

Wilshere played as a central midfielder before Ozil’s arrival and continued to play there after the German signed. Wilshere also played on the right of midfield with Ozil in the centre, and the two players always combined well.

Moreover, the idea that Wilshere was “just as good” as Ozil is frankly ridiculous.

Ozil was one of the best number 10s in world football while at Real Madrid while Wilshere, despite his talent, struggled for consistency.

Adams went on to say:

“A lot of fans have questioned Ozil and his desire to win. When you’ve got a player and you’re giving them lots of money they have to contribute.”

Ozil has played 165 games for Arsenal since signing from Real Madrid. He’s scored 32 goals and has registered 57 assists.

Wilshere has played 79 games in the same time for Arsenal and Bournemouth, scoring just seven goals and assisting just 10 times.

Ozil is no stranger to accusations of being lazy and hiding in games, but the numbers suggest he has contributed plenty in an Arsenal shirt.

By contrast, Wilshere’s struggles with injuries have prevented him from contributing on the pitch and have justified Arsenal’s decision to bring in another attacking midfielder.

Adams can have his views, but there’s no argument to be made here.