I’ll only stay if Wenger is the boss, warns Ozil

Mesut Ozil revealed he is waiting on Wenger to decide whether to continue beyond this season before penning fresh terms.

Mesut Ozil revealed he is waiting on Wenger to decide whether to continue beyond this season before penning fresh terms.

Published Jan 9, 2017

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Mesut Ozil is ready to commit his long-term future to Arsenal - but only if Arsene Wenger remains as manager of the club.

Contract discussions between the Gunners and Ozil are ongoing as he moves into the final 18 months of his current deal. 

The German playmaker revealed he is waiting on Wenger to decide whether to continue beyond this season before penning fresh terms. 

‘I am very, very happy at Arsenal and have let the club know that I would be ready to sign a new contract,’ Ozil told German magazine Kicker. ‘The fans want that I stay and now it is just down to the club.

‘They know that I am here most of all because of Arsene Wenger. He is the one who signed me and he is the one whose trust I have. The club also knows that I want to be clear what the manager is going to do.’

Meanwhile, Wenger handed substitute Danny Welbeck his latest comeback from injury in the FA Cup third-round victory at Preston — but they were not the circumstances he had in mind for the striker’s return.

Seven minutes to play at Deepdale and Arsenal were heading for a replay having been second best for most of the time against Championship side Preston. 

Welbeck, who suffered a serious knee injury in May, was thrown on to effect change. Preston had led early through Callum Robinson, and after Aaron Ramsey’s equaliser Arsenal needed a spark.

It came in the 89th minute from late goal specialist Olivier Giroud. He fired home from Lucas Perez’s clever flick for his third late strike since Boxing Day and one reason why Welbeck could find fighting a way back into this team tough. 

This was progress for the former Manchester United man, however. Although his stint off the bench was short, it will have been valuable to Welbeck, who was at times told not to turn up at the club’s training ground for his own sake. 

The latest road to recovery has been almost as much about managing the 26-year-old’s mind than his fitness. Wenger said: ‘When a player has a long-term injury sometimes it is better you get him out and away, especially when he comes into training and sees everybody go out there. A football club is built for people who are competitive so sometimes, mentally, it is difficult to sit and watch. So we mixed his time up a bit. 

‘We spoke with him a lot but at the end of the day, when something like that happens, you have to deal with it on your own.’ 

Welbeck has missed 78 games through injury since signing for Arsenal three years ago. This latest spell out, at 243 days the longest in his career, appeared to be the hardest of them all. Wenger said: ‘I think he was certainly feeling desperation because the setback he had was atrocious.

‘You need a lot of patience when you are that age. But he worked hard and certainly it will make him stronger.

‘It was a very difficult time for him. I think he suffered a lot but I hope, touch wood, that he will now have a clean career.’ 

Daily Mail

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