Mesut Ozil will stay at Arsenal until the end of his contract, which expires next summer, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The 31-year-old missed the end of last season with a back injury. However Ozil believes he can still make an impact at the Emirates.
Mesut Ozil Will Stay at Arsenal
Ozil: “Here through to the Last Day”
In his interview with The Athletic, Ozil spoke about his future and dismissed any speculation about leaving the club.
He said: “My position is clear, I’m here through to the last day of our agreement and I’ll give everything I have for this club. Situations like these will never break me, they only make me stronger. I showed in the past that I can come back into the team and I will show it again.”
The former German international’s £350,000 a week contract expires in June 2021. Despite being out-of-favour under Mikel Arteta, Ozil appears happy to fight for his place at Arsenal.
Ozil said: “I’ll decide when I go, not other people. I didn’t sign for two or three years, I signed for four and that should be respected by everyone. Things have obviously been difficult but I love Arsenal, I love to work there, I love the people in the club — the real people, those I’ve been with for a long time — and I love London, it’s my home.
“Whatever happened in the last two seasons, I’m happy and very strong mentally. I never give up on anything. I want to help my team and I’ll fight for it. If I’m fit, I know what I can do on the pitch.”
Ready to Play Again
Ozil enjoyed a good run of form before the Premier League season was suspended in March. The 31-year-old started 10 consecutive league games between December and March.
However, the Arsenal playmaker only made 18 league appearances overall for the Gunners last season.
The German explained how he was fit enough to feature after the lockdown period but feels he needs to be given a chance by Arteta.
He said: “I can’t talk about my private conversations with the coach. But I can tell you I know my body well. I was fit enough to play every game before the break and, apart from a small injury, it was the same after. My daughter was born while we were off so maybe I was not always sleeping perfectly, but this is normal. I actually had more energy and excitement to play because of her.
“As a player, you sometimes have bad days and can’t always be happy, especially if you’re not playing. When you know how good you are and you know you’re not going to be picked, it’s hard to be at 100 per cent and, of course, you can get disappointed. This is my profession, it’s what I love doing: being on the pitch, playing matches, showing the people, helping the club and my team.
“I fully respect the coach’s decision but I believe these things should mainly be decided on the pitch. After the restart, I wasn’t given a chance to show what I can do. You don’t play 10 games in a row if you’re unfit, not good enough or don’t behave well. If I played these games badly and was then left out completely for that reason then I might understand, but this was not the case.”
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
