Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s game against Southampton, Mikel Arteta has responded to a question about Mesut Ozil’s future within the Arsenal squad.
Nobody needs reminding that Ozil has been left out of the Gunners’ 25-man Premier League squad for the upcoming season, but with fans recently calling for him to be put back into the squad, Arteta has been asked whether or not that is something he is considering.
Unfortunately, the manager remained coy on the situation, refusing to fuel the flame of speculation.
“We will address that situation when the window opens and see what we do. Now, sorry Ian, but I am just focused on tomorrow’s game,” Arteta said.
It’s a shame that we didn’t get a concrete answer from Arteta on this matter as this will only lead to further speculation.
With that being said, it is interesting that he didn’t close the door completely on Ozil’s return to the squad, but it still does seem unlikely at this point.
January is going to be key for Arsenal in terms of signings, but Ozil being added back into the squad could be better than any potential arrival, especially with the Gunners’ recent struggles when it comes to getting the ball into the back of the net.
It certainly seems as though the Ozil situation is something Arteta has been thinking about, so if Arsenal’s struggles going forward continue, he may look at bringing one of his most creative players back into the fold.
These comments aren’t ones to read into too much, but at least the question has been asked.
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