Arsenal manager Unai Emery is adamant Mesut Ozil will still be at the club after the European transfer window shuts. Former Germany international Ozil has yet to feature for the Gunners this season due to safety concerns and then an illness, which kept him out of last week’s defeat at Liverpool.
There has been plenty of speculation over the playmaker’s future in north London, with Ozil being linked with moves to both Turkey and the United States.
However, Emery insists the German, who has been declared available for Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham, will still be an Arsenal player after Monday night’s continental deadline.
“We are not speaking about the possibility for Mesut to leave,” Emery said. “We finished here our transfer window and in Europe it is going to finish on Monday.
“We cannot sign another player but we have some players who have a possibility to leave in the four days before the transfer window closes. “The club is working, some players know the situation and my focus and the team’s focus is to prepare for the match on Sunday and exclusively on Sunday.”
Emery has also provided a positive update regarding Ozil’s fitness ahead of the what will be an intriguing derby encounter against Spurs at the weekend.
“This week he is training well, he is progressing physically and he is training and doing normal work with us. “He is going to be closer to us and he will be available on Sunday. It is good news.”
Arsenal could do with an in-form Ozil in their ranks after they were well-beaten 3-1 by Liverpool at Anfield last time out.
The result showed the gulf that still exists between the Premier League frontrunners and Emery’s side, who look like they will have another battle on their hands to finish in the top four this season.
That gulf was expected to have been narrowed over the summer, considering how much Arsenal spent to improve their squad compared to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Arsenal now prepare to face a Tottenham side that will be looking for a response after they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United last time out.
In a game that looks like it will be decided by fine margins, Ozil’s return could be the boost the Gunners need to get back to winning ways at the expense of their local rivals.
