As the Gunners continue to struggle, manager Mikel Arteta seemed ready to try new things that will return Arsenal to the winning column. Amid the club's floundering campaign in the season and the likelihood of his sacking, the Spanish boss opened the door for Mesut Ozil's return to the squad, reports said.
Arteta made clear that his focus is on the roster members at his disposal when making the adjustments for Arsenal to start winning matches again. But the coach hinted that between now and the January transfer window, a crucial decision could be made regarding Ozil's fate.
"He's not in the squad right now ... I'm focusing just on the players we have here. But, whatever happens in January, we have some time to decide," the manager explained, and per the report by Metro.
Ozil was cut from the Gunners squad in September and with his contract running out at the end of the season, it is thought that his Arsenal career is practically over. The club, however, can use all the help available to get back on track and the prospect of seeing the German playmaker on the pitch again seemed attractive.
Freddie Ljungberg, who served in an acting capacity before Arteta was hired in 2019, backed the possibility of bringing Ozil back to the roster. The Swede said the midfielder is certainly an asset when the Arsenal side has possession of the ball.
According to Ljungberg, Ozil's creativity and ability cannot be found easily, adding that finding a match of the 32-year-old's unique talent is next to impossible.
Reports suggested that the difficulty with Ozil lies in his attitude, which made it difficult to handle the World Cup winner as seen with Unai Emery and Arteta. But former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has attested to the fact that coaching the playmaker was not a problem for him.
The Frenchman, however, admitted that handling Ozil for him required a non-conventional coaching approach since the German is more sensitive than the regular players.
"He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun ... He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive," Goal reported Wenger as saying.
If Arteta is willing to listen, the legendary coach suggested that Ozil has to be handled differently. The trick is to use the German's creativity to Arsenal's advantage and to anticipate the trade-off, which is mostly on the defensive aspect.
Since Ozil is not very good on the offensive end, the Arsenal gameplay needs to be designed with this in mind. Wenger said a team must be built around the player to set off his inadequacy.
