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.
“The club knows that I am here most of all because of Arsène 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 [in the future].”
Ozil has been criticized for not signing a new contract by, among others, Thierry Henry, who said that the German international and Alexis Sánchez, who also has 18 months left on his deal, were “holding the club hostage” with their wage demands.
Özil, however, said he does not care what former players are saying about him as they do not know the full story.
“Everyone has a right to say what they want but what they have to say doesn’t interest me,” he said.
“Ex-players or other people who have a view don’t know what is actually being said between me and the club.”
Arsene Wenger is in the last year of his current and Arsenal have been surprisingly quiet about the Arsenal manager signing a new two-year deal.
If you are an Arsenal fan, do you want Arsene Wenger back next season, or is it time to make a change, even if that means that the likes of Ozil leave in the summer?
