Mikel Arteta’s ruthless Arsenal overhaul has divided supporters and neutrals alike, with a string of high-profile casualties along the way.
Since replacing Unai Emery in late 2019, the Spaniard has almost completely transformed the playing staff, leaving him with one of the Premier League ’s youngest squads. And in his near three years in charge, Arteta has shown he has no fears about making a controversial decision or two.
One of the most contentious of those came back in January 2021, when he allowed World Cup winner and former Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil to leave on a free. Having been left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads, the enigmatic playmaker was little more than a cheerleader. The reported crux of the issue was that Arteta was unhappy with his application in training.
There was a genuine fear that Ozil, in new surroundings, would rediscover his best form and ultimately leave the Gunners red-faced with his hasty departure. But less than two years after joining his boyhood club Fenerbahce, his future is in serious doubt.
After being suspended following an alleged row with previous manager Ismail Kartal, the new man in charge, Jorge Jesus, has already confirmed that as far as he is concerned, the Ozil era is over at the Turkish giants.
"He had his time, his space," Jesus explained at his official unveiling. "He has a beautiful history in Turkey, nobody can take it away from him. He is a well-known player around the world. But I will follow exactly what was the end of the Ozil era.
HAVE YOUR SAY! How many signings do Arsenal need this summer? Let us know in the comments
"The most important thing here is not the coach Jorge Jesus, the most important thing here is not the player Ozil, the most important thing here is not any player. The most important thing here is Fenerbahce and it is from there that I build my ideas and the players who come to work with me."
Ozil and his agent have made clear that they intend to see out his contract - which runs until the summer of 2024 - but there is now a genuine chance of history repeating itself, with Ozil’s most telling interventions coming on social media.
Arteta’s axings haven’t always gone to plan - Emiliano Martinez was allowed to leave and has since thrived at Aston Villa. Elsewhere, the early months of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Barcelona have hinted that the ousted skipper is right back to his best.
But there are plenty of success stories as far as the Arsenal boss is concerned. Shkodran Mustafi was another who left on a free after the club and player came to an agreement on mutually terminating his contract. Since leaving North London, the centre-back has suffered back-to-back relegations, firstly with Schalke in Germany and then Levante in Spain.
Just weeks before Aubameyang’s controversial exit in January, Sead Kolasinac was granted a premature departure by mutual consent. He joined Marseille, but like Ozil his future is now up in the air, with reports in France claiming Jorge Sampaoli is looking to move him on.
Foot Mercato claim that after just six appearances for the French club, Marseille see him as surplus to requirements, with question marks over his ‘qualities and profile’. Kolasinac still has 12 months on his current deal at the Stade Velodrome, but it appears that Sampaoli has quickly came to the same conclusion as Arteta.
