Santi Cazorla Rues Arsenal Failure to Sign Luis Suarez, but Loves Mesut Ozil

Santi Cazorla has claimed he was "like a little kid" the day Arsenal signed Mesut Ozil—a transfer that helped him overcome Arsene Wenger's inability to land the "incredible" Luis Suarez from Liverpool.

As reported by Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail, Cazorla was extremely excited by the arrival of Ozil, and can't believe Real Madrid let him go:

"

I spoke to friends of mine at Madrid who told me that Mesut was talking to Arsenal and that he wanted to leave. You think, "How are Madrid going to let Mesut get away?" He’s one of the best players in the world and the truth is you don’t really believe it.

Then one day the manager said to us, "We’ve signed Mesut, he’s going for his medical."

I was like a little kid. I knew that a great player was coming and that because of the way he plays, he was going to be a perfect fit for us.

"

Cazorla was right to be excited. Ozil's impact has been instant, despite a couple of poor performances during Arsenal's recent win over Liverpool and defeat to Manchester United.

The former Werder Bremen player—who arrived at the Emirates for a club-record £42.5 million—has significantly boosted the team's creative output since pulling on the red and white shirt.

Ozil has scored three goals and provided five assists in 12 games for the Gunners, reported by WhoScored, statistics that have played a major role in Arsenal's ascension to the top of the Premier League.

He has also helped Olivier Giroud to find consistent goalscoring form—something that wasn't apparent in light of Robin van Persie's departure last season.

Cazorla acknowledges this and suggests Ozil's transfer helped Arsenal to overcome the failure of landing Suarez, who remained a key target during the summer, per Jenson's report:

"

I think he’s [Suarez] incredible. I would have loved it if he had come. But Giroud is playing with a lot of confidence. He’s started well, scored a lot of goals and is fundamental for us now.

"

Arsenal fans can expect to see Cazorla start the upcoming Premier League fixture against Southampton, in a match that is sure to test the resolve of Wenger's team in front of their own crowd.

The Spanish midfielder will need to take control of the midfield alongside Ozil and will hope to lay on another opportunity for Giroud to excel in front of the North London faithful.

Should he do that, the Gunners will have an excellent opportunity to extend their lead at the top of England's competitive domestic division.

However, Giroud is already being outscored by Suarez, despite the fact the Liverpool man has played fewer games this term. The Reds could also potentially move above Arsenal this weekend, at which point their failure to land the Uruguayan might begin to sting Cazorla and company once again.

Follow @Nakerman