OPINION
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has reportedly told his representatives to find a way for him to join La Liga giants Barcelona this summer.
Spanish outlet Don Balon claims that the 28-year-old wants to leave the North London club and he is desperate to return to Spain following his three year spell with Real Madrid.
The report claims that Barcelona are seriously considering making a move for the German as they have failed to get a deal to bring Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho over the line.
Good move for Arsenal?
At this moment in time, this would be a catastrophic for the Gunners should Ozil leave the club this summer.
Especially after the disappointing campaign last season, Arsenal need to show that they are a club that can keep hold of their best players and losing Ozil could lead to the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain walking through the exit door.
Although the German international failed to impress in the opening day victory against Leicester City last Friday night, he still remains one of Arsenal’s best attacking outlets in the first team and he’s proven that he can produce a moment of magic at a crucial time.
Without Ozil in the squad, the Gunners will surely struggle in their bid to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League this time around.
Arsenal need to follow in Liverpool’s footsteps and make it perfectly clear to the Catalan club that their playmaker is not for sale this summer.
This Is Futbol rating: 1/10
Likely to happen?
Ozil’s current situation is a lot different to Coutinho’s one at Liverpool as the German currently has one year remaining on his contract at the Emirates Stadium.
Although Arsenal will not be willing to sell him, their heads might be turned should Barcelona table a ridiculous offer which they are perfectly capable of doing after receiving around £200million from the Neymar deal.
The likelihood of the deal depends on how much Barcelona are willing to spend for a player who is available on a free transfer next summer.
There’s no doubt that Ozil will be pushing for a move behind the scenes and with the Catalan club under immense pressure to find a replacement for Neymar before the end of the transfer window, Barcelona might be able to persuade Arsenal to sanction a deal with a huge fee.
This Is Futbol rating: 6/10