Ozil signs for Arsenal!!

They finally did it! After months of intense frustration in the search for a truly world class player, Arsenal managed to secure the services of the outlandishly talented Mesut Ozil on the very last day of the transfer window.

Throughout this summer transfer window, Wenger seemed completely obsessed with his desire to sign a top quality player, like Indiana Jones in search of the Holy Grail. Bids were made for several stars, most notably and as it turned out, embarrassingly Luis Suarez for whom Arsenal bid £40 million plus £1. Before that infamous bid there was the pursuit of Gonzalo Higuain, whose move to the Emirates seemed a formality, until Real Madrid demanded a significantly higher transfer fee and Arsenal ultimately lost out to Napoli, having dithered when believing they could sign Suarez for just over £40 million.

As the days went by and with the close of transfer window fast approaching, there appeared to be little hope that the club would sign that elusive world class player. With Tottenham having spent lavishly on players such as Etienne Capoue, who would have been a perfect addition to the Arsenal squad, while Wenger had only managed to secure the services of Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini on free transfers, the mood around the Emirates was depressingly low. The club were an embarrassment, a laughing stock and changes had to be made.

But there is a banner at the Emirates which reads “In Arsene we trust” and the manager proved once again that we were wrong to doubt him. The signing of Ozil may have come out of the blue, but it is an extremely significant one. Arsenal can no longer be seen as a selling club, one which refuses to spend big in the transfer market, or break away from their strict wage structure. Suddenly Arsenal is a club which the top players in world football will give serious consideration to, when deciding on their next destination.

Yes, it could be argued that the Gunners are already well stocked when it comes to small, technically gifted central midfielders but such is his supreme ability, if Mesut Ozil comes on the market, you would be a fool to pass that opportunity by. In addition, the signing of the German international provides Wenger with added options in this area, enabling him to rotate and rest the likes of Wilshere and Rosicky, hopefully reducing their risk of injury.

It will be interesting to see how Wenger fits Ozil into a midfield which has performed extremely well since the beginning of the season. Aaron Ramsey in particular has been outstanding, picking up the player of the month award for August, while the interplay between Cazorla, Rosicky and Wilshere has also been most impressive. If Wenger is to deploy Ozil in his preferred position, just behind the main striker, then Cazorla or Rosicky would have to switch to the left flank, even though this is a position which does not get the best out of either player. However, Wenger must feel that a group of such outstandingly talented players would be able to fluidly and continually change positions amongst themselves throughout the game. This prospect alone must send tingles down his spine as the opposition would struggle to get to grips with the one touch passing and movement which would have Ozil at its centre and could simply tear teams apart.

Theo Walcott could even be provided with another opportunity to impress up front and develop what could turn out to be a devastating partnership with Ozil. The Englishman’s searing pace makes him practically impossible to catch once through on goal, but Arsenal have often struggled to find that killer through ball to Walcott, with the opposition often sitting deep when playing against the Gunners. However, this could soon change with the introduction of the “king of assists” Ozil, who can thread the ball through the eye of a needle. In fact, even if Walcott isn’t playing up front, if he can cut in from the right flank and be picked out by Ozil, the two could develop an understanding akin to Dennis Bergkamp and Freddie Ljungberg which propelled Arsenal to the league title in 2002. 

With Ozil on board, the whole club has been lifted and the possibilities for the future suddenly appear endless. The sheer importance and significance of this landmark signing simply cannot be underestimated.