Arsenal Transfer News: Mesut Ozil Exit Reports Compounded by Pedro Blow

Arsenal’s record signing Mesut Ozil could have played his last game for the Gunners, with reports suggesting both he and the club are willing to negotiate an exit strategy.

The German international looks set to sit out the rest of 2014 after suffering a knee injury, and according to Rob Shepherd of the Mail Online, he is pushing for a move away from the Emirates after being played out of position in the early stages of the campaign.

According to the piece, Bayern Munich are big admirers and could be willing to part with £30 million to get him on board.

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A frustrating start to the season for Ozil was compounded when he suffered an injury in the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat against Chelsea. In that match he was deployed in a floating role on the flank by Arsene Wenger, but once again he failed to make any major impression on the match.

For £42 million, it's games like these in which you expect Ozil to step up, but he failed to do so once again, as noted here by arseblog:

In fairness to Ozil, whenever he’s played as a No. 10, he’s made a much more positive impression on the game. The match against Aston Villa in particular—which Arsenal won 3-0—was a standout display, and he racked up some excellent numbers, per Squawka:

Ozil was played on the flanks for Germany during their successful 2014 World Cup run, and although they eventually lifted the trophy, the Arsenal man never really stood out en route to glory.

Nonetheless, it’s a tactic Wenger has mimicked, but if reports are to be believed, Ozil has had enough of the experiment.

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It does beg the question, though, if he was to go to Bayern Munich, would he be guaranteed to start in his favoured position there?

It’s obvious why a manager like Pep Guardiola would admire Ozil’s technical ability, intricacy and vision, but in Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze, he has two players who are already excellent in that role behind the striker.

In the modern game, players have to be adaptable and in his Emirates career so far, while he’s showcased some undeniable quality, Ozil has shown that he’s a player who only shines in a specific position with stylistically complementary players around him.

It's something John Cross of The Mirror alluded to recently, admitting that while he isn't played in his best position, the German needs to show more:

With that in mind, from an Arsenal perspective, if Bayern do come in with a substantial offer, they should take the money and run.

With talk of Ozil’s exit gathering pace, thoughts will naturally turn to potential replacements. But one man who doesn’t look likely to be following Alexis Sanchez from Catalonia to London is Pedro, with reports suggesting he’s set to sign a new contract with Barcelona.

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According to Cross of The Mirror, the Blaugrana will offer the 27-year-old a new deal to stave off interest from the Gunners and eradicate the prospect of Pedro—whose current deal expires in the summer of 2016—running down his contract. 

Cross writes that Arsenal enquired about the possibility of signing the La Masia graduate last summer, but Barcelona refused to let him go despite the acquisition of Luis Suarez. Here’s why the Gunners are supposedly keen on the player:

With Ozil reportedly a target for the German champions and—according to Cross—both Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski potentially on their way out, Arsenal could push hard for Pedro in January if contract negotiations with Barcelona aren’t finalised.

But Wenger has insisted that there’s little focus on transfer dealings at the moment and that Podolski is a player that is very much in his plans, per Sky Sports:

"

It is quite simple, there is no transfer market at the moment. When there is no transfer market, you are all on board – or not on board. It is like that.

This is a job where you can only be successful if you’re fully committed. You cannot be half in and half out, so all this transfer speculation is not considered at all. We are all on board to get results, and Podolski will be part of that.

"

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While Wenger will be undeniably focused on the team’s upcoming matches, you suspect he’ll have one eye on the situation regarding the Barcelona winger. If one of Ozil, Cazorla or Podolski was to go, Pedro would be an excellent replacement, and if contract issues continue, the Gunners could pick him up for a cheap price.

The Spanish international has featured in six of Barcelona’s seven La Liga games to date, per WhoScored.com, but when Suarez returns from his ban, you suspect Pedro's first-team chances will diminish significantly.

Having won everything there is to win with the Catalan giants, it’d be no surprise to see Pedro take up a new challenge at a club where playing opportunities will arise on a much more regular basis.