Seemingly unmindful of the possibility that Mesut Ozil would not be part of Arsenal by next year, Mikel Arteta is said to be drawing up plans for the German playmaker to perform better on the pitch. The Gunners boss wants to hire a defensive midfielder and is making it a priority signing in the summer.
Ozil had gained better playing time with Arteta in charge of Arsenal, which was in contrast before the Spaniard came in late last year. Under Unai Emery, the midfielder became an outcast and was rarely deployed to play, which fired up speculations that he will be sold to interested clubs.
However, the World Cup winner appears to be in the game plan of Arteta. Metro reported that the manager's hiring plans include the bringing in of a talent that will complement how Ozil operates.
If a defensive midfielder will arrive at the Emirates in the summer, the club boss seems convinced Ozil will enjoy more freedom in the park, which for Arsenal should translate to better performance from one of the club's highest-paid players.
Reports said Ozil receives a weekly salary of £350,000, and it looks like that Arteta wants to make good use of this money - by making sure that Ozil will deliver when on the pitch.
In hunting for his targeted signing, Arteta is thought to be focusing on two names. Carlos Soler of Valencia and Eduardo Camavinga of Rennes are on the shortlist, although the Gunners coach can easily pick out from the current roster of midfielders.
Matteo Guendouzi would have been a good pick, but the young Frenchman was involved in a spat with Arteta, and the latter will likely work on moving the player out of Arsenal soon.
As for the rumors that Ozil could be out of the picture as early as this summer, his agent, Erkut Sogut, said that such talks were as they are - rumors. Sogut insisted that Ozil is happy where he is right now and remains committed to Arsenal's mission of winning titles.
"I have said it before and I am saying it again that he is really happy where he is at Arsenal ... He still has a contract to go and there is no change," The Sun reported the agent as saying.
The German's deal with Arsenal will not end until June 2021, but the stories of him getting out soon have refused to die down.
"We will see what the future holds when the contract ends but for now, there is nothing I can say ... You never know in football. First of all, you can never predict the movement of players," Sogut said.
