What It Would Cost Arsenal to Replace Mesut Ozil
February 26, 2019
In the current football world, only a few names can be mentioned better than Mesut Ozil when it comes to the best of the best in creative talent and vision.
With the German’s future looking further away from the Emirates with each passing day, it’s hard to imagine If the Gunners would ever be able to replace a man of Ozil’s talent.
Of course, the midfield maestro can be “replaced”, but in an inflated football market, a player of Ozil’s qualities will cost at least £80m. And with Arsenal well famous for their prudent and strict policies towards transfers, it will be an uphill battle to see them cough out that much for one player.
With that in mind… just how important is the German to the current Arsenal squad.
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger recently suggested that it will cost the club ‘£100m’ to buy a player like Ozil when he was asked about the German as he picked up another Lifetime Achievement Award.
The German World Cup winner has been repeatedly left out of the starting lineup in most of the games Arsenal has played this season. It is very obvious that new boss, Unai Emery isn’t a fan of the midfielder.
Wenger noted that the reason could be because his huge contract was affecting his motivation levels. He also stated that it would be costly for Arsenal to replace a player like Ozil.
He said: “To buy players of top, top quality you need £100m. So the decision you have to make is whether you re-sign the player, who costs us nothing, or do we have the money to buy a new player?”
Obviously, Arsene Wenger also like many other fans feels Ozil should be given more value and luxury because of the “unique qualities” he possesses.
The fact that the most chances created by an Arsenal player come from Kolasinac, a left back shows how much creativity is lacking upfront in the Arsenal squad. To further compound the saga, Mesut Ozil who has literally struggled for game time this season is second behind Kolasinac.
What does that bring to mind?
The team lacks a lot when there is no Ozil, and he has been difficult to replace. With Aaron Ramsey leaving Arsenal in the summer, it’s safe to say Ozil will remain the most creative and chance inclined player. With that in mind, Emery has to salvage the situation and keep the German at the club for a more extended period.
However, that looks highly unlikely to happen. Emery doesn’t play Ozil, and that would suggest that his days that the North London club are numbered. If Arsenal decides to let Ozil go, it won’t be easy, because no club will be willing to pay his high wages. Even if they do manage to sell him, they will have a good to fill in their team. Alex Iwobi has been impressive for the Gunners this season, yet he is no Ozil. He doesn’t create chances the way the German does, and neither does Mkhitaryan.
Replacing Ozil will be difficult and expensive too. A good player who could replace Ozil at Arsenal is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. He is rapidly becoming one of the hottest midfielders in European football and is currently valued at £81m.
Ozil is the luxury Arsenal must afford to keep, and it’s interesting to see how events regarding his future turn out within the next couple months. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Also Read: 5 Things We Learned From Arsenal’s Win over Chelsea
This article is brought to us by our newest member of Sports Writers Club – Kolly Smith. Kolly Smith is a passionate Arsenal supporter, who also enjoys writing about the Gunners. He has been blogging for 6 years.
