Last night a journalist at German publication Sport Bild teased the Arsenal community on Twitter with news that Mesut Ozil is on the brink of signing a new deal at the Emirates.
The full story, published this morning (screenshot courtesy of Sport Witness), claims that the World Cup winner – who has two years remaining on his current deal – is willing to put pen-to-paper on a new two-year contract worth €230,000 / week.
It’s suggested that he has two ‘demands’ before doing so. First, that he’s given Jack Wilshere’s number 10 shirt because he wants to follow in the footsteps of Dennis Bergkamp.
Second, that the Gunners continue to invest in players so that they have the best possible chance of challenging for the Premier League and Champions League.
We’re assuming a change in digits would not take place until next season, at which point Ozil could consolidate his personal ‘brand’ by sporting number 10 both domestically and at international level. That is, of course, assuming we’re willing to slight young Jack should he be welcomed back into the fold after his loan at Bournemouth. Weird how shirt numbers are so damn important to people…
As for signing players? Well, it’s not like we didn’t blow a load of cash securing Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez this summer.
Sport Bild highlight Arsenal missing out on Alexandre Lacazette as an example of Wenger not necessarily going all out in the transfer window, but quite honestly if that’s the only thing stopping Ozil from signing on the dotted line then we’re not going to get our panties in a twist.
We’re mostly just surprised he hasn’t asked for Mathieu Flamini to be installed on the board of directors.
It certainly looks like we’re moving in the right direction on this, so let’s hope we can get it over the line soon. And then we can turn our attention to prolonging Alexis Sanchez’s contract.
“We’re assuming a change in digits would not take place until next season”
Correct, players can not switch numbers during the season.
Abit off topic it with all the talk of bungs and shady deals , you can rest knowing arsene is and always will be squeaky clean ..!!
They actually don’t have to be finalised until the transfer window shuts, but obviously it is too late for this season https://squadnumbers.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/changing-numbers-mid-season/
The only thing more stupid than players caring about which number they have is a governing body that has seen fit to devise and impose such a fucking stupid rule.
Well I guess the constant change of numbers betweenn players will affect ref. Making them possible to give cards to the wrong player…..
Wait…… Seems like they will give wrong cards whether there’s a change of number or not. ( Think Ox and Gibbs)
Did you mean Lewis Hamilton?
Players can’t switch to an IN USE number, and they can’t change the number given for Europe. Otherwise, locally they can, and has been done before. So it seems.
Nice that he seems to share the fan’s love of Dennis for the former and the demands of the fans for the latter. Sure hope he signs. Its a real treat to watch him, every game.
Irrelevant.
Arsenal’s social media team will be deciding next season’s squad numbers through a Snapchat voting system, hosted by Jenks and Gunnersaurus.
Shut up and take my money! If Eboue is involved, I would willfully pay for a monthly subscription..
hmmm, seems like good news, but on that screenshot it also says that he’s still dreaming of a return to Real Madrid!
I read that as “blurghhhh, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, create headlines, cough, nonsense, we’ve no morals”
Sounds like somebody has pulled together a few Ozil quotes re the shirt number with some educated guesswork re the club’s ambition and his likely pay demands and made a bullshit story out of it.
Haha … (Flamini in the board of directors,) .how about having Bendtner as chief scout.. not bad huh?
TGSTEL scored for Forest last night
Every report from Bendtner “He’s good, but not as good as me….”
Sign a new two year deal? Does that mean two years from the day he signs the deal, or two years from the end of the current contract. If it is the former, then aren’t we just as likely to lose him on a free two Tata from now?..
Almost certainly a two year extension to the existing deal.
So it sounds like the new contract is 4 years at 200,000 per week starting from the moment he signs it. Not bad for everyone involved. On top of that, he gets to re-negotiate a new deal two years from now. So hopefully that should make everyone happy.
I had the same question but it has to be 2 years in ADDITION to the 2 remaining otherwise we are just giving him more money and a new shirt number for nothing.
i was thinking the same…just two years for all his demands . hoping it to be a two year extension.
besides i dont think ozil
scratch that last part..lol
I think he should be forced to play for us until he retires
Tata = years..fuckin autocorrect
That’s some autocorrect.
Haha someone’s been watching Narcos
This comment killed me ?
Love that program
Tata is a buff ting indeed ?
Why only a 2 yr deal? That neither here nor there. Or more there than here, at the very least.
By that time he will be 31, it make sense to me.
“Weird how shirt numbers are so damn important to people…”
Just as Arsenal and Arsène gave the 10 to Wilshere to prove they believe in him… This number is not one number, it’s The number like the 9. And i still wonder why Arsenal/Arsène gave it to Wilshere.
If Greizmann is the price we must pay to keep mesut, I could live with that..
Greizmann? On current value that would be a huge price to pay. More like Wilshire on current value.
I don’t like it. I mean, I love his play, he’s a quality operator, but taking the shirt off a team mates back? Bit cuntish
Considering Mesut should have been given that shirt (a symbolic shirt for the club that we somehow allowed Gallas to wear) the day he signed for us, and upgrading our squad so we “challenge the likes of Bayern Munich” is already our stated aim according to Gazidis, I see no problems here.
*if Jack’s stats and impact in games even began to approach Mesut’s, then he might have a case. But they don’t and he doesn’t.
He’s been injured not underperforming. I know he’s on loan, but that’s widely acknowledged to be part of his recovery. To demand his shirt is a bit shitty.
He’s been injured and underperforming for about four years now,time to move on. I don’t see Jack Wilshere coming back.
on the contrary, I think keeping the number from Mesut is a bit cuntish. Considering he is the best number 10 in the world, and the number is at the moment, being wasted on Jack Wilshere who barely gets a sniff of first team football.
I could agree, but Jack isn’t around right now so he can maintain the number he uses from Bournemouth when he returns.
Ozil gets what it is to be a top player, from a commercial standpoint. CR7, TH14. Numbers mean something when it comes to personal branding. I think he feels he’s entering his prime, and the years he will be remembers for, and he must capitalize. Germany’s and Arsenal’s #10 and MVP, and winning trophies with both. His demand for his number gives me solace he really does want go stick around.
This MVP nonesense is just American bollocks. He’s part of a team, a seriously important part yeah, but when you start making demands that belittle your team mates, in order to further your brand, that’s a bit cuntish.
Nicking a living.
Just frustrated how these things ends up in news paper columns. No issues with the demands but AW would have been far more comfortable if this news had stayed within the right remit!
Our real 10
I think it’s bullshit that his contract extension hinges on the club’s willingness for him to take his teammates number.
And let’s all think back to when RvP made similar demands for signings during his contract negotiations.
I don’t like this one bit
Are you saying you believe any of this garbage?
I’m not gonna to lie, I was really looking forward to the poo-ometer.
Fitting tribute to our greatest ever skipper, William Gallas
*gets coat*
Doesn’t he wear 8 for Germany?
The No. 10 shirt was worn by Podolski, but following his retirement from international football will go to Ozil
He already wore it in the last qualifiers.
Following the footsteps of berkampf will be difficult IMO. First he is not German. Second he did that thing at Newcastle. 3rd he doesn’t take a plane. The only thing they can have in common in my opinion is that they are both wizards
Bergkamp is Dutch, Mesut is German nationality with Turkish ethnicity
My bad I completely misread your comment Antispuds 🙂
Ozil is not as good as Bergkamp. DB is econd only to George Best in my humble opinion!
Dennis Bergkamp is second to no one in my opinion. Finest footballer to ever walk the planet.
It’s a generational thing though I guess. No doubt my boy will be extolling the virtues of Iwobi and The Jeff.
Seriously on this.. ozil can for F himself. . No matter how shit wilshere is now, he will never put arsenal on condition for his service cus he is a gunner in and out.. circumstances made us loan him.. I still remember the great goal he has contributed, his passion for this club and the days he made Xabi and iniesta looked like total cunt. . Sorry mesut. .u can’t have that ten cus one day, you going to put our head under the dagger to play for us.. jack won’t do that.
But Ozil is good. Jack is a bit shit.
a bit harsh
But true. If everyone remembers one good performance against Barca like 8 years ago it kind of proves my point doesn’t it.
It’s a good point. I get that people like Wilshere but when has he seriously impressed since then?
When Mesut signs he will be ‘LIKE A NEW SIGNING’ Just need to sign Ashley Williams and Michu and out team will be complete. Our games will have a nice ebb and flow to them. Yagunnersyaar
????
I approve of these conditions, make it so
Brilliant user name.
Never understand the obsession with numbers. For a fuck-tonne less than £200,000 a week, I’ll wear a massive 1, together with 2 smaller zeros at the bottom, so it looks like a cock and balls. Like Patrick McGoohan, ozil is not a number : he is a person.
Ozil in the wrong here; you don’t take another man’s shirt number no matter how long he’s been out the team.
I say this as someone OCD about shirt numbers and who was quite protective of his own, and of more junior players’ when they didn’t show the proper protectiveness in the face of coercion.
It should always be of the player’s own volition to give up his number.
Don’t remember the case with Diaby, but if he was stripped of #2 without consultation it’s sad and entirely possible a repeat could happen with Jack here.
IMHO shirt number disputes should be settled by seniority in the team, then age, /then/ place in the team.
By this logic Jose Mourinho was in the WRONG to reassign #9 from Anthony Martial without first asking.
Whether Gerard Pique, back in 2008, was in the right accepting #3 from Gabriel Milito I can’t say.
Pique was 7 years younger and a newcomer. But also a newly minted UCL winner and a former Barcelona youth exponent long before Gabi’s arrival in 2007.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So how will that work then? I take it there will be a clause in his contract that says he can leave if we buy a Gervinho or a Santos but he’ll stay if we bring in a Santi or a Sanchez?
Hate to be cynical but that part of the story sounds like it needs a poo-meter added to it.
Considering what some Chelsea and Man U cunts are on he can have his 200 grand. Walcott is on 120 and albeit playing well right now he’s been consistently inconsistent for us. I have no issue with players being on mega money if they’ve earned it and Özil has. Give him the fucking dosh!
I’m giving this 10 brick-solid poops
Give him whatever the feck he wants.
It is understandable he want investing in the squad, the top players are usually extremely competitive and ambitious individuals which is why they are world class players cause they wanted it more and worked harder for it than your average player. Last season Özil was carrying the team on his shoulders through long stretches of the season especially when Alexis was missing. Which was the same reason Van Persie ended up leaving cause there was no one else in the squad close to his level and we werent signing any either at the time. Van Persie may be a Cunt,… Read more »
Let’s not forget it took rvp 8 years to become good. If someone has that much patience with you, you have zero right to demand anything. That, and his stupid letter, are the reasons he is a cunt and can fuck off.
I say we agree to 10k a week and the shirt number: 200,000.
Everyone is happy.
He should also insist that Arsene does not take the England job too!
Willing to bet my chewing gum one of the manager’s is Harry Redknapp
It’s all gone quiet from the ‘Wenger out’ clan all of a sudden. Funny that. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Next time have a bit of faith and patience.
Well anyone mentioning Wenger for England job should be either anti arsenal or a spuds fan or stupidity ignorant or all 3, which is more likely. After here Wenger is retiring and maybe undertake golfing or horse racing or even become a Maurice dancer. En of.
Anyone remember how Monreal switched to 18 in order to give Alexis shirt 17..?
No problem. Salary is not a problem. I’m sure Jack won’t give two hoots about a number 10 shirt. Ozil wanting to be like Bergkamp at Arsenal is a great aspiration. Finally signing new players of quality won’t be a problem either. We are no longer in the numbers game so our money will be used on smaller and smaller numbers of reinforcements. This summer we had ( I mentioned) around 80m to spend. We spent 35m on Mustafi a fantastic sign, Granit another 35m also a brilliant piece of transfer market work done very early before anyone-else. That’s 70m++… Read more »
IF the report is true then glad to hear he is about to sign. Salary pike might be problematic because of the other contracts we will have to negotiate but the club are well aware of that and will no doubt be able to sort it out. My concern is the shirt swap: doesn’t matter to me but what will Jack think? I remember him talking fondly about the number when he got it and the trust it represented in him from the manager. Just hope it is handled in a way that Jack isn’t alienated (yes I care about… Read more »
“And without moving into the realms of what-ifs and speculation, I have been thinking about his contract situation and from an Arsenal point of view I don’t think it could be any easier: give him what he wants. Whatever he wants, give it to him. If he wants £250,000 per week, give it to him. If he wants that money to be paid into a bank in the Cayman Islands using only used dollar bills, then do it. If he wants Arsenal to sign some other players in January, or next summer, sign them. Wants defensive coach? Give him defensive… Read more »
Show him the Money !!!!
Before we slate Mesut, how do we know these journalists comments are accurate anyway? Its not like Journo’s ever twist the truth ….
Finally I had to scroll down all the way here to actually hear some senses innit. Step one: never believe what media says, feels like spuds or antiarses were behind all these to crack the changing room apart. Step two: have faith to our own players for Bergkamps’ abs sake. Do you really think Özil will knock his class off just to take Wilshire’s number over? 🙂
I don’t see any thing hard giving ozil’ what he wants.