Much was expected of Mesut Ozil in the Premier League following his arrival at Arsenal from Real Madrid for £42million.
After three seasons with Arsene Wenger’s men, the 27-year-old has been linked with an exit from the club with reports suggesting he could return to La Liga.
The German international had a successful three seasons in Spain, but was deemed surplus to requirements by Carlo Ancelotti at Santiago Bernabeu in 2013.
His departure was greeted with fury by Cristiano Ronaldo, who said: “He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal. I’m angry about Ozil leaving.”
There was great excitement from Arsenal supporters as, after years of being stringent in the transfer market, manager Arsene Wenger finally splashed the cash to bring in one of Europe’s finest players.
Ozil had a bright start to his Gunners career, earning his first assist by setting up Olivier Giroud in a win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
However, the German’s first season at the Emirates Stadium was blighted by inconsistent form, which included a costly penalty miss against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
He also struggled with the physicality of the Premier League in a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool that lead to criticism of his game and position in Arsenal’s starting line-up.
Germany’s triumph at the 2014 World Cup saw Ozil return to form and regain confidence ahead of the new campaign only to see his hopes of making a lasting impact blighted by a spate of injuries.
On his return to the side he helped play an influential role in securing back-to-back FA Cup crowns for the Gunners in their win over Aston Villa at Wembley.
The 27-year-old hit his peak form for the Gunners at the start of the current campaign, raising his game to the quality expected of him when he arrived at the club.
Ozil has notched an incredible 18 assists in just 28 matches this term, while also contributing five goals to keep Wenger’s men in the hunt for the Premier League title.
His form has not gone unnoticed by top clubs from around Europe, while Arsenal’s perennial failure to win major trophies may entice the German to take his talents elsewhere.
The http://extra.bet365.com/news/en/football/la-liga oddsmakers have Barcelona at 1/200 to claim back-to-back league titles, and the addition of Ozil over the summer could help them extend their dominance into a third campaign.
His style of play suits the Catalan club and would thrive when supplying the potent strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar and their ability to find space in the channels.
Ozil could also ease the burden on Andres Iniesta as he turns 32 in May, which may lengthen the Spaniard’s career with Luis Enrique’s men.
Another club that may be tempted to launch a bid for the German’s services also reside in La Liga in the form of Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simeone’s men have battled to stay in touch with Barcelona at the top of the table but they may fall narrowly short this term.
Midfielders Koke, Gabi and Saul Niguez have been outstanding for their side and were pivotal in their La Liga title triumph in the 2013-14 campaign.
However, the addition of a player of Ozil’s quality could bridge the gap and certainly add further ammunition for Antoine Griezmann to rack up the strikes.
Should the German decide his future lies away from the Emirates, he will have no shortage of suitors for his signature and that makes the next few months a crucial time in his career.