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Arsenal want to loan out Mesut Ozil in January, and are prepared to subsidise part of his wages if another club is willing to take him.
Ozil has become a bit part player under Unai Emery, with the Spanish manager unwilling to trust him, especially away from home, and now the decision has been taken that it is better to allow him to leave on loan, rather than just sit on the bench, or make the odd appearance.
That is despite the German being named as part of Emery’s captaincy group last week.
World Cup winner Ozil is on £350,000 a week, a salary that has deterred other clubs showing an interest in the 30-year old in the past. However, the Gunners hope that sweetening the deal by subsidising his salary will encourage clubs to come forward in January.
One sticking point may be Ozil himself. He did not want to leave the Emirates in the summer, and it may take some convincing to get him to leave in January, with some suggesting that, if he stays put, he may out-last Emery in North London, who may struggle to keep his job if Arsenal do not make the top four at the end of the season.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.