Arsenal attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil has been completely frozen out of the squad, but could Juventus be the next landing spot for him?
Juventus need creativity in the middle of the park behind forwards Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata, and Paulo Dybala. It is clear to most Juventini that the team plays better when Aaron Ramsey is occupying a creative role behind the forwards, even if Ramsey isn’t necessarily the most consistent or impressive playmaker in Serie A.
Papu Gomez of Atalanta could be an option for Juve in January, but what about a bigger name? Could Mesut Ozil really end up in Turin and link up with Ronaldo again, turning back the clock to their days as a lethal counterattack duo under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid?
According to a report from Tuttosport’s Massimo Franchi, Mesut Ozil has been offered to Juventus by the player’s representatives. Arsenal have not given Ozil a single minute this season under hard-line manager Mikel Arteta, though the draconian imperative seems to come from even higher up the chain of command.
Ozil has always been free to leave North London, but Arsenal have never found someone willing to acquire his wages, which hover around 20 million euros. Per Tuttosport, the possible deal includes Juventus paying out half of Ozil’s salary for the remaining six months. Afterwards, Ozil’s contract will expire, and then perhaps Juve can judge whether or not they want to keep the 32-year-old beyond 2020-2021.
He’s an option. Maybe he is risker than Gomez, but there is are huge rewards both in terms of on-the-pitch success and, yes, marketability, when signing Ozil. The connection between Ronaldo and Ozil is another selling point that I am sure the former Werder Bremen man’s entourage is hyping up to the decision-makers in Turin.
I don’t see Ozil to Juventus as likely, but it may not be a total fantasy pairing. There is logic in making this kind of a splash move that does not hurt the team’s wage structure in the long-term. The key would be how cooperative Arsenal are in facilitating a move, but it would be rather disgusting for them to continue to essentially hold a talented player with global fans hostage.