Unai Emery says that Mesut Ozil’s exile from the Arsenal first team was not only his decision, but agreed with the higher-ups at the Emirates.
The German superstar, who earns £350,000-a-week in north London, has made just one Premier League appearance and one in the League cup this season.
The 31-year-old has not even made it onto the substitutes’ bench for the last five Arsenal matches and appears to be completely out of Emery’s plans.
With the Gunners struggling for consistency, in terms of performances and results, the decision to axe the World Cup winner has been questioned by fans and pundits alike.
However, Emery has looked to justify the move by saying that it was not just his choice, but a decision taken by the club as a whole and has the backing of the Arsenal hierarchy.
‘Here we have one agreed strategy as a club and a team,’ said the Spaniard. ‘Because the most important thing is the club, the team and finding a performance.
‘Previously we were all speaking between us to take that decision. I know all the supporters want to know something [more] but now is not the moment.’
There remains an air of mystery about Ozil’s absence from Emery’s first team plans, with the manager refusing to explain why he is not involved.
The German was not given a chance in the Europa League on Thursday against Vitoria Guimaraes, and when questioned, Emery batted away the queries, saying: ‘Tonight is not the day to speak about that. He’s not in the squad. That is the decision tonight. Now we are going to work towards Sunday.’
Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves called for Arsenal to be more open about what the situation is, while Gunners legend Ian Wright admitted he does not know what the issue is, but hopes Ozil can get back into the starting XI.
Whether he gets back into the team or not, Ozil has no intention of walking out on his mammoth contract with the club, with his contract running until 2021, which he signed last year.
‘When I signed the new deal, I thought about it very carefully and said it was one of the most important decisions of my footballing career,’ Ozil said in conversation with The Athletic. ‘I didn’t want to stay for just one or two more years, I wanted to commit my future to Arsenal and the club wanted me to do the same.
‘You can go through difficult times, like this, but that is no reason to run away and I’m not going to. I’m here until at least 2021.’
Arsenal host Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and Ozil is not expected to be involved once again.
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