Mesut Ozil hasn’t played a single minute of football for Arsenal since 6 January but Mikel Arteta says there’s still room for him at Arsenal.

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - MAY 22: of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on May 22, 2020 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – MAY 22: of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on May 22, 2020 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“There is always a place for a player of his quality,” Arteta told the press before Arsenal’s game against Wolves on Saturday.

“Players can adapt to different systems and we can adapt those systems for different players.

“Sometimes it is not just about what we want to play or how we want to play.

“We have to try to field the players that we have available in the right moments, in the right positions, to perform and be comfortable on the pitch to do what we require them to do.”

200604 scottish daily mail mesut ozil
Scottish Daily Mail 4 July 2020

With just one year left on his bumper contract, the club have been trying to get him out of the door for a while now. There is no doubting that he entered a comfort zone once that deal was signed but he also had a number of significant personal matters off the pitch, including having to deal with racism and a knife attack.

Still, he’s paid to play football and he hasn’t been doing much of that this season. When he has, there has been little end return as his one goal and three assists in 23 games highlights.

To get Ozil out of the club the player will need to take a large drop in salary and, well, why should he? Think if it was you in your job and you didn’t have to halve your salary for 12 months unless you agreed.

Ideally, given that he is 31, Mikel Arteta can find Ozil’s spark again.

Until his recent back injury heals, however, that seems unlikely.