Arsenal can’t afford to ignore Ozil’s contract cries any longer

It was a case of same old, same old for Arsenal last night, who racked up their seventh consecutive win in all competitions with a 6-0 demolition job over Bulgarian side Ludogorets. And while the team as a whole performed exceptionally, there’s one man in particular who stood out – just in time, too.

Talks of a contract extension for Mesut Ozil seem to have stalled in recent weeks, leading many to believe that the Germany international could be on his way out of the club next summer.

But if there was ever a performance to suggest why that would me a catastrophic error of judgement made by the north London outfit, it was last night’s.

A routine assist combined with a first ever career hat-trick, albeit against a relatively small European force, tells you just how important a role the former Real Madrid man plays in this Arsenal side that are chasing their first Premier League title in over a decade.

With supporters constantly demanding that more money is invested into the squad, there’s an argument that keeping hold of current players is just as, if not more, important to the side’s chances of success.

Though some fans have grown frustrated with Ozil’s hardball negotiating tactics of late, in truth, the 28-year-old has every right to be calling the shots.

After all, he knows how valuable he is if the Gunners are to stand any chance of winning a major trophy.

And in the modern game, with the millions of pounds being thrown around at the biggest clubs in Europe, Ozil’s current deal of £140k a week simply isn’t good enough for the World Cup winner.

That figure is gazumped by some of his fellow compatriots, with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and even Bastian Schweinsteiger all reportedly picking up more than Ozil.

Of course, the Assist King isn’t the only player in contract talks at the Emirates, with Alexis Sanchez and Hector Bellerin also in similar situations.

So what do Gooners think? Is adding to the squad more important than keeping your existing players happy? Would you be happy with a quiet couple of transfer windows in order to keep your current best players? Let us know in the comments section below!

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