'My position is clear' - Ozil defends his stance on Arsenal future

Mesut Ozil insists he won’t be leaving Arsenal before the end of his contract and defended his refusal to take a pay cut.

A 1-0 win over West Ham on March 7 was the last time Mesut Ozil played for Arsenal. He actually assisted Alexandre Lacazette’s winner in the game. Since then, however, it’s been nothing but disappointment.

The World Cup winner only made the matchday squad twice when Premier League action resumed in June after lockdown in the UK ended.

This turn of events has waved fresh doubts into Ozil’s future, with Mikel Arteta remaining coy on whether the German has a future under him. The club board, meanwhile, allegedly wants to offload him to be rid of his £350,000-per-week salary.

Speaking to renown Arsenal correspondent David Ornstein for The Athletic, Ozil said on his future: “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.”

Less than 12 months are left on the midfielder’s contract and his refusal to take a pay cut, unlike many of his teammates, during the coronavirus-enforced break didn’t do him any favors.

“As players, we all wanted to contribute,” said Ozil.

“But we needed more information and many questions were unanswered. Everyone was fine with a deferral while there was so much uncertainty — I would have been OK to take a bigger share — and then a cut if required, once the football and financial outlook was clearer. But we were rushed into it without proper consultation.

“For anyone in this situation, you have a right to know everything, to understand why it is happening and where the money is going.

“But we didn’t get enough details, we just had to give a decision. It was far too quick for something so important and there was a lot of pressure.

“This was not fair, especially for the young guys, and I refused.”