Mesut Ozil is 'deeply disappointed' to be axed from Arsenal’s Premier League squad and insists his loyalty to the club has not been reciprocated.
The 32-year-old is the highest-paid player in Arsenal’s history but has now been omitted from both the Premier League and Europa League squads.
Ozil has not played a single minute for the Gunners since March 7, having initially been a mainstay of the team following Mikel Arteta’s appointment last year.
“This is a difficult message to write to the Arsenal fans that I’ve played for over the past few years,” he wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“I’m really deeply disappointed by the fact that I have not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being.”
Former Germany international Ozil went on to question Arsenal’s loyalty.
He signed his current deal, which expires next year, in January 2018 – the same time Alexis Sanchez departed for Manchester United.
“Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated,” he added.
“As I have just found out, loyalty is hard to come by nowadays. I’ve always tried to remain positive from week to week that there’s maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That’s why I kept silent so far.”
Before the Covid-19 outbreak caused the season to be halted, Ozil had started every Premier League game since Arteta’s appointment as head coach in December.
He has not been included a matchday squad since and – alongside Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos who was also left out of both squads – Ozil will only be able to represent Arsenal Under-23s until 2021 at the earliest.
“Before the Coronavirus break I was really happy with the development under our new coach Mikel Arteta – we’ve been on a positive way and I would say my performances were on a really good level,” the statement continued.
“But then things changed, again, and I was not longer (sic) allowed to play football for Arsenal.”
〽️⚽️ #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa pic.twitter.com/hF7abGklOT
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 21, 2020
Arteta: It's a football decision
Speaking at his press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa League Group B opener at Rapid Vienna, Arteta took full responsibility for Ozil’s absence – but insists it was a call made purely for footballing reasons.
“Everybody is free to express his feeling,” he said.
“What I can say from my side is that it is just a football decision. My conscience is very calm because I have been really fair with him. My level of communication with him has been really high and we know what to expect with each other.
“Obviously a player of that dimension, with the career he has had, everything that happens around him has a big impact. It has been the case for the last eight years, it is nothing new that is just happening now. A lot of things have happened over these eight years.
“My job is to get the best out of every player, to contribute to the team performance. Here I feel at the moment, today, that I have failed. I want the best possible Mesut for the team. And in some moments I was able to get close to that, and at the moment I have not been able to do it because I have to make the decision to leave him out of the squad.”
