He’s continued doing everything possible in training to get Mikel Arteta to change his mind, and hopefully now there’s some light at the end of the tunnel for Mesut Ozil at Arsenal.
Having not been registered for either of the Gunners’ Premier League or Europa League squads, it’s meant that the silky midfielder has had to be content with training hard and keeping his fitness levels up, with one eye on earning a recall to the first team.
The Spaniard has remained steadfast with regards to his decision making, but with Arsenal enduring a torrid start to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, there’s a good enough reason to bring back a player who will hand the team the creativity that they’ve been missing.
Perhaps now the door is slightly opening again.
“He’s not in the squad right now,” Arteta is quoted as saying by the Daily Express.
“I’m focusing just on the players we have here. But, whatever happens in January, we have some time to decide.”
Whilst still not a ringing endorsement from the manager, Arteta’s statement does hint at a softening of the hard-line approach.
It might just be the best decision he makes this season.