SkySports pundit thinks Arsenal ace has missed his chance of becoming ‘one of the greatest’

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Mesut Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid.

Graeme Souness has suggested to Sky Sports that Mesut Ozil has missed his chance of becoming ‘one of the greatest’ to have played in the Premier League, as he questioned the Arsenal man’s attitude.

Ozil first moved to Arsenal in 2013 when the North London club paid Real Madrid £42 million for his services [BBC Sport], but Souness thinks the ‘talented’ playmaker could have ‘done more’ during his career.

When Ozil first joined Arsenal, it was a great coup for the club and the German was showcasing why he was one of the most feared creators in England’s top-flight, but as the years passed, his performances in big games, especially away from home were questioned time and time again. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Souness shared his thoughts on Ozil’s career and the problems he has seen in his game during his time in the Premier League. 

“The way I see him, we should not even be having a conversation about him,” Souness told Sky Sports. “He’s so talented, and we should be talking about him as one of the greatest players to come to the Premier League, but I don’t think I’m alone in feeling there’s so much more from him.

“I think he’ll look back and think he could’ve done more – I know Ozil is a No 10, but when he loses the ball, there’s a general disinterest to do the hard yards.

“He’s not alone in that, and maybe he’s given carte blanche to be like that but if you’re out there and you give the ball away yourself, the first reaction has to be to sprint back, get goal-side and be part of the team that wins the ball back.”

Ozil has always had his critics and it could be best described that he is a marmite-like figure to his own fans and those outside of Arsenal.

He will simply point towards his World Cup medal because that still stands as his greatest achievement in the game.

Plus, during his time in Madrid, he was highly thought of and there was a reason why someone like Cristiano Ronaldo loved playing alongside him.