This week Mesut Ozil’s agent met with representatives of DC United as the MLS side look to replace the star quality of Wayne Rooney.
The former Manchester United man is heading back to England to join Derby County in a player/coach role, and DC want a star name from the Premier League to take his place.
They have identified Ozil as that man, and with life in London troubled by the recent security difficulties, Dr Erkut Sogut was in the US capital this week to listen to what they had to say.
Asked about it at his press conference today though, Unai Emery made it clear it’s not something he’s considering.
“Really, when we are playing our second match and our first match at home against Burnley, can you think I am thinking and losing my time if the player can leave from here?,” he said.
“My focus and direction with the players is here with us and everybody. Each player on Saturday will be ready for Saturday.”
Although the German is a doubt because of a midweek illness, the Arsenal boss says he and Sead Kolasinac are ready to play after the off-field issues that have been so concerning.
“They came back to training with us on Tuesday,” he continued.
“They came to start training with us and really Mesut Ozil is a little sick, he didn’t train yesterday but he trained today with us.
“I think each training gives us good information and good different options with them also to take the decision if they’re going to be with us on Saturday or be in the first team.
“But we are going to wait until Friday, our last training session.”
Nicely diverted
Great opportunity for Özil. Go on son, grab it.
Can’t you see he is again ill as usual?
also with confidence in each moment, working and feeling with us, after with big commitment in our way.
and so on and so forth
Very insistent about the pretzel monies.
put in “abovv oll” at the start of that sentence!
You forgot the “Good Ebenin”!
And the fact that he is in a good moment.
We have moments that are on the attack, but also the defensive moments.
However it turns, I hope for Ozil and family it turns out well. Football wise, I’d like him to really turn it on, and prove consistently brilliant. He’s got the talent, and with age, maybe an increased determination?!? Speaking for myself, I’d be incredibly pissed if the same had happened to me.
He’s been at Arsenal since 2013. Isn’t a little late in the day for him to “… prove (he’s) consistently brilliant”? How long does it take?
Unai should said “please don’t ask me any stupid questions, I’m trying to prepare the squad for an important home game on Saturday”.
should have said
I actually think that’s about what he was trying to say.
If he could he would.
Ozil is sick again?!?!? This guy has bigger problems me thinks.
Wish the best for him and his family in DC. I love our squad! COYG
Men, I don’t know, this O°zil saga have got long enough. Some still wants him some don’t, it will be better for both parties if it finally came to a conclusion. That is so much uncertain about a player for a club to move forward.
I would expect Ozil to join MLS when David Beckham’s MLS side (Inter Miami is such a dumb name) is up and running and actually playing in Miami, because his contract with us will be up by then.
Sell him to America next summer, if he doesn’t perform this season.
Who’d buy him? The whole point is that nobody will match his wages. Ozil currently earns more than twice the current highest paid player at DC United! We’d probably have to pay them to take him.
Joe the plumber earns more than the average local MLS player.
Excluding Rooney, I think Calum Chambers is paid more than any DC United player. Maybe Guendouzi.
An interesting “non answer” sidestep from Emery. Clearly, if we can get a club in the US to take him, we’d not hesitate. Unfortunately, it’s the steely grip of
£350,000 a week that’s preventing it.
There was talk in the press that Arsenal would be prepared to subsidise part of his wages to get Ozil off the books. In other words, we’d pay a club to take him. You’ve got to admit that’s a fairly novel solution.
Why do that? If he isn’t weighing on wage bill like Last Jan, he is a great asset to have.
I scoff when I hear that Ozil is a little sick. That’s most of the time last 2-3 yrs.
Yeh… Ozil sick? Who’da thunk it?
He is so fragile it’s irritating. He’s such a Goldilocks player. Cant play up North, cant play in snow, cant play against physical sides, sick every two weeks. Pathetic. Sell as soon as. He’s been protected for too long.
A bit like British Rail
Am quite curious as this didn’t happen a lot under Wenger. Why Ozil falls sick so often under Emery is a mystery I find hard to unravel. Is it a case of giving the animal a bad name in order to kill it or something else? Anyway, I hope this ends soon so we can enjoy some real football rather than talk about how strong or weak someone’s immune system is. #COYG
I don’t understand why people are so zero sum and keen to sell Ozil. If its not a burden on the wage bill anymore, then we are lucky to have such an asset. Sure he has flaws but so do other options. Cebllos has yet to exactly find his feet. Smith-Rowe still young, Mhkitaryan hit and miss. Would be great to have Ozil. Only recently, he provided the sumptuous pass for Auba against Barca. BUT he also did not track Alba on the other end, which could have led to a goal. So there’s good and bad. BUT if we… Read more »
He’s crap in the PL.
I don’t understand why you think £350k p/w isn’t a burden on the wage bill anymore? We’re still a club with limited funds, even if it looks like we’ve begun to spend them more proactively and intelligently. Our success pretty much directly depends on how efficiently we use those funds. £350k p/w is £18.2m per year, or the wages of 2 star players. He’s had 6 seasons at the club now, and the last 2 have been his weakest by far. We know what he’s likely to contribute this year. He might have a few moments of magic over the… Read more »
if I understand correctly your saying he is not a burden anymore because other high earners have departed? Thats the obvious answer to your question thought isnt it. People are inevitably hacked off that Ozil’s wages have played some part in the departure of a reliable asset like Ramsey, whilst also playing some part in limiting our scope in bidding for high wage players in other parts of the pitch where more useful and whom are perhaps more likely to fully put a shift in. Yes when he plays and the conditions are right he has some skills that we… Read more »
Man that’s a whole lotta sick days for a 350,000 pounds per week package!
To paraphrase from Rocky IV “if he leaves, he leaves”.
I doubt that Emery has a say in the matter. My guess is that Stan is desperate to get Ozil off the wage bill. Hopefully DC will make an offer that’s acceptable to all parties and our friend moves on. With the money saved we might be able to go back into the transfer market in January. I would still like to see another defender come in.
I doubt Stan even knows who’s on the wage bill.
Billionaires know exactly where their money go.
Quite. He knows who the high earners are – and he knows who the highest earner is.
Nonsense. Kroenke can read a bottom line alright. I don’t think it’s a secret that he compares our wage bill to that of Spu*s and when he does, he’ll see that ours remains considerably higher. Who is currently getting “more bang for the buck?” will be the question – and the answer is not us.
Fair comment but what exactly have Sp*rs won?
And they are having trouble holding their best players. Eriksen wants to leave, Alderweireld wants to leave. Their wage bill will either go up significantly, or they will find it increasingly difficult to compete for the top places.
I reckon he will join them
Your headline: “Emery scoffs at Ozil sale”. Sorry, you either are incapable of reading, or you gellefully LIE to create clickbait. Emery said what EVERY MANAGER says at the pre-game press conference, which is that he is concentrating on the game, not about transfers. Your headline: “Emery scoffs at Ozil sale”. Sorry, you either are incapable of reading, or you gellefully LIE to create clickbait. Emery said what EVERY MANAGER says at the pre-game press conference, which is that he is concentrating on the game, not about transfers. [Jon Snow, when asked why he did not lie when it would… Read more »
gellefully should be “gleefully”
First two lines were repeated by mistake. Hey, if you made a mistake, you are forgiven, no problem.
What the hell was that all about…
Just Hep having a conversation by himself with himself.. atleast there’s a jon snow reference though I’m still trying to grasp its relevance
tbf, Jon snow character development was destroyed ever since he came back to life.
Sickness! Bloody hell..the excuses we make for ozil is a joke.
Ozil is done yipeeeeee. Joe willockd turn. Just need rowe and mavarapanos to improve now
With the current depth in squad I think Ozil becomes a very good option for the squad. He adds a different option in midfield which might become very handy in certain games in future. Now that we have got good players in that we were crying for to improve the current squad, I dont think it is that much necessary now to think of selling ozil or mikhi. They both lack consistency but you cannot question the class they add to the squad. It is always handy to have different traits of player at your disposal and at the moment… Read more »
I disagree entirely. Ozil has been with us since 2013. Since then, who can honestly say he has turned in a consistency of performance that justified either the £42 million fee we paid or his current £350,000 a week wages. Given the number of games he missed last season (not the recent unfortunate incident), he’s simply not around to add class to the squad, as you put it, very frequently, is he. Ozil is a luxury that we can’t afford when we’re paying for players with extended instalments, doing loan back deals etc. to stretch out limited funds. The same… Read more »
Ozil at he’s best with a possible Pepe auba and lacca , mouthwatering , but he’s inconsistency has become far to consistent for me , other hungrier players who can step up COYG
Ozil doesn’t need the money, he’s earnt a substantial amount over his career inside and outside of football. Sure the lure of not being kidnapped and living in the states would be enough for him to move on. Along with his wife nagging him ?
Clearly he can’t say he wants the player gone, look at the trouble that’s caused Zidane at Real Madrid, but i think we all know that Emery would like his wages being spent on a player or players that more suit his style of play.
If Ozil were to go in January on a free with DC taking on his entire wage that would save Arsenal over £27m which is a fair chunk out of any replacement.
Buy one (Ozil), get one free (Mustafi).
Midweek illness! Ózil needs some oranges or something. I bet he never got the 100% attendance certificate at school.
Just as an observation on coincidental timing, I suppose if you wanted someone to move, making their current situation feel less appealing would be one way of going about it.
You’re not actually suggesting…oh no, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Maybe that’s why Sol Campbell’s left Macclesfield – club have employed him as a hitman to finish the job.
Sick again? Really
I hope he stays and does really well. But if he has to leave America would seem like a win-win. The club could get a good price from the MLS and the M10 brand gets massive free press in a huge market. Opens up tons of sponsorships for him over there.