Mesut Ozil seems to change his mind on Arsenal as club’s half-turn position reveals itself

Arsenal reportedly have no plans to reinstate Mesut Ozil in the first-team squad, with the German set to stay out for the rest of the season.

Ozil was excluded from Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads at the start of this campaign, despite being the club’s longest-serving and highest-paid player.

The World Cup winner was due to leave this summer as a result and was linked with a move to Turkey, but decided to stay put.

Arsenal have struggled without a number 10 in recent weeks, and before their recent makeshift turn Mikel Arteta was under serious pressure.

There was the suggestion that Arteta could send Ozil back to the first team to resolve his midfield creativity issues, but Emile Smith Rowe has since taken over.

It’s been a hectic season so far – so make sure you don’t miss a thing by signing up for the new Mirror Football newsletter!

All the latest transfer news and big stories will arrive straight to your inbox. You won’t miss a thing.

To subscribe, put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions at this link.

So much so in fact that it seems even Ozil seems to have changed his mind about his own importance to this Arsenal side, acknowledging the youngster as a worthy replacement.

“Nice game boys! Great spirit – three straight wins. The team looks good with a No 10 like Emile Smith Rowe – the difference maker,” Ozil tweeted after Arsenal beat West Brom.

Ozil’s comments coincide with a report from The Athletic, which claims the Gunners are not looking to send the German back to the first team.

As Ozil hasn’t kicked a ball all season – in fact he hasn’t since March – and is out of shape and it would take too long for him to be level to play competitively.

Ozil has trained with the first team this season, but unless he leaves in January, it doesn’t look like he will be playing football this campaign.

Will Mikel Arteta still be Arsenal boss at the end of the season? Give your opinion here.

* Sign up for the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip