According to The Daily Mail, Mikel Arteta has axed Mesut Ozil and Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Arsenal’s Europa League squad.
Ozil hasn’t featured for the Gunners since March and is the club’s highest earner on £350,000-a-week according to the report.
It also states that he has been selected in just two matchday squads post-lockdown. In Sokratis’ case, he hasn’t featured once yet this season.
The Daily Mail also mention that talks to pay Ozil’s contract off have been renewed as Arsenal try to reach an agreement with the German.
Given his extortionate wages, the Gunners surely have to find a way to offload the former Real Madrid man, who Transfermarkt say stands at 1.80m (5 foot 9 inches).
While most of the attention will be on the playmaker’s axing, some focus should be on Sokratis too, who also isn’t cheap for Arsenal to employ.
The Greek centre-back cost £17.7 million when Unai Emery signed him from Borussia Dortmund, and the Gunners pay him £92,000-a-week according to Spotrac.
It speaks volumes as to where the pair stand in Arteta’s eyes now they’ve been chopped from the Spaniard’s Europa League squad.
For the sake of the pair’s careers, and also Arsenal’s finances, exits must be found for them as soon as possible.
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