Arsene Wenger doesn’t spend money, he merely unearths gems from nowhere. While that sentence does have a slight truth to it, we know that it’s not the whole story. This summer the French manager splashed out on Mesut Ozil, and the signing paid off almost immediately.
The German burst onto the scene at the Emirates but has since slowed down in his progress. But Wenger is still confident that he will be a hit at the Emirates, putting him forward as a potential player of the season next year.
The Arsenal boss said, ““Ozil had a jaded period but I will put him on the list to be Player of the Season next season.
“It’s good to have him back because we had so many offensive players out. He always gives you opportunities to score and I have to test him physically [on Friday] and Saturday to see if he can travel.“
He has a point.
Ozil was one of the top creators in Europe last season while at Real Madrid, and he made a massive impact early on in his Arsenal career.
The Germany international has 22 Premier League games to his name and has racked up 63 key passes, which includes eight assists, and is more than anyone else at the club. He also has four league goals.
In the Champions League he has 19 key passes to his name, more than Wilshere (5), Ramsey (4) and Santi Cazorla (4) combined, as well as a goal.
All that without a proper pre season. Imagine what he will do next time out.