Arteta: There is still a way back at Arsenal for Ozil

Mikel Arteta has insisted that Mesut Ozil could still find his way back into the Arsenal team in the future.

Ozil first joined Arsenal in 2013 in a deal worth around £42.5m from Real Madrid. In his eight years at the club, he has made 254 appearances for them in all competitions.

His influence on the club has decreased the more time he has been there, though. This has especially been the case under Arteta. The midfielder only made 18 Premier League appearances last season.

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Ozil has been completely frozen out this season. He has been left out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads.

The German international is out of contract this summer, so it is expected that he will leave then or during the January window.

But Arteta told beIN Sports that he cannot rule out integrating Ozil back into the Gunners team down the line:

“Well everybody can [find their way back into the team] and I think since I arrived here you see where some players have started and where they are right now, their careers are completely changed and they have earned that right. We gave them the opportunities and they took them.

“With Mesut at the moment, with the squad list, obviously he cannot be involved.

“I try to be as clear as possible with him and with the fans and all the media because they deserve to know the reasons why and some people will understand and other people won’t understand it.

“The moment that you lose football matches his name is going to come up and when you don’t it won’t.

“I’m hurt because I don’t like any player in my squad not to have the possibility to participate or to compete, for me it is really sad because I don’t think anybody deserves that.

“But at the end of the day I’m sitting here to make decisions, to make the decisions that, in my opinion, are the best for the football club. And this is what I have to do.”

Just about all of the greatest uncapped Premier League players ever were pursued by England. And only four of them were English.