Marc Overmars has aimed a dig at Mesut Ozil by suggesting that Arsenal should sell him this summer and sign Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech to take his place.
Ozil endured a frustrating 2018-19 season by failing to hold down a regular place in Unai Emery’s starting XI and he managed just two Premier League assists in 24 games.
The 30-year-old is reportedly available for transfer this summer with Arsenal keen to shift his £350,000 per week salary off their wage bill but they have struggled to find a suitor for him.
Despite that, former Arsenal player Overmars, who is the Director of Football at Ajax, claims that they should offload him and sign Ziyech as the Moroccan is a better player.
Overmars told Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad: ‘I am a little surprised that things are still so quiet around Hakim. I think he has played better every year and his statistics are exceptionally good. Many clubs are increasingly looking at that.
‘They look more at the numbers than at what he shows and what is happening around him. I think Hakim is better than Mesut Özil. I would say: sell him and you will get Hakim for half but they didn’t listen to me.
‘So it could just be that he stays with Ajax.’
Ajax enjoyed a hugely successful season as they won a domestic double and surprisingly reached the Champions League semi-final only to lose in dramatic circumstances to Spurs.
Ziyech was one of the stars of their team, contributing 16 goals and 13 assists in 29 Eredivisie matches while providing three goals and three assists during their Champions League run.
It was reported that Ziyech had a £25m release clause in his Ajax contract and although a host of clubs including Arsenal have been linked with him, he has so far remained in Amsterdam.
Arsenal’s only signing this summer is 18-year-old Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli and Emery has been frustrated in his attempts to add experienced players to his squad.
Emery will have to sell players to boost his transfer budget but there has been little interest so far in the likes of Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan who are all available for transfer.
