Mesut Ozil has said that he has no intentions of leaving Arsenal until the expiration of his current contract in 2021.
The former German international has made 233 appearances for the Gunners since joining them from Real Madrid. scoring 43 goals and providing 74 assists. One of the finest playmakers in recent times, Ozil was a key player for Arsenal but this season, he has barely been used by Unai Emery.
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So far, the 31-year-old has only made two appearances against Watford and Nottingham Forest. Despite being omitted from Arsenal’s squad for most matches, Ozil has said that he doesn’t intend on leaving the club until at least 2021 when his current contract expires. In an interview with the Athletic the former German international said: “No. I have a contract until the summer of 2021 and I will be staying until then. When I signed the new deal, I thought about it very carefully and said it was one of the most important decisions of my footballing career. I didn’t want to stay for just one or two more years, I wanted to commit my future to Arsenal and the club wanted me to do the same.
“You can go through difficult times, like this, but that is no reason to run away and I’m not going to. I’m here until at least 2021. I said that Arsene Wenger was a big factor in me joining Arsenal — and he was — but ultimately I signed for the club. Even when Arsene announced he was leaving, I wanted to stay because I love playing for Arsenal and that’s why I’ve been here for six years.
“When I moved from Real Madrid, it was a really tough time for Arsenal. But I always believed in what we could do and together we delivered. More recently things have been difficult and a lot has changed. But I’m proud to be an Arsenal player, a fan and I’m happy here. Whenever people see me in the street I always say, ‘This is my home’. I’m going nowhere.”
Arsenal fans will be glad to hear that Ozil has no intentions of leaving the club anytime soon but it will be tough for the 31-year-old to find first-team opportunities under Emery this season. However, if he persistently impresses in training, then maybe it’s still possible for him to get a good amount of game time this season.
The Gunners’ next match is against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday and it’ll be interesting to see if Ozil is selected in the squad.
