Arsenal Transfer News: Mesut Ozil Eyed by Juventus Amid Arturo Vidal Rumours

Juventus will make an ambitious attempt to sign Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil if Arturo Vidal or Paul Pogba depart the club, according to Tuttosport (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star).

Harris suggests the Gunners value Ozil at £28.8 million and that Juve could act this summer or next. He is Massimiliano Allegri's "top target" and someone who could fill the void left by passing wizard Andrea Pirlo, who recently confirmed a deal to join New York City FC.

101 Great Goals tweeted an image of Tuttosport's headline:

Football Italia also cited the Italian publication but suggested "a genuine offer would only be made if Juve were to sell one of their star midfielders."

Vidal continues to be linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid, while Pogba is a big-money target for Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, according to Football Italia's report.

Chilean newspaper El Mercurio (h/t Anthony Chapman of the Express) indicates Vidal has agreed a five-year contract to join Madrid, becoming the first major signing of new boss Rafa Benitez's reign. La Tercera (h/t Aritz Gabilondo of AS) also carries this claim.

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If true, Tuttosport's report suggests a bid for Ozil could be incoming. The German midfielder has endured a topsy-turvy spell at the Emirates Stadium, one in which he has shown flashes of brilliance and moments of annoyance.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had previously regularly played him out of position, pushing the traditional No. 10 to a wide-attacking role on the left wing. This negates Ozil's qualities as a craftsman with the ball at his feet. However, the German was played more centrally in the second half of last season.

He isn't blessed with tremendous pace or physicality. He is best situated to playing behind the striker, allowing him to find pockets of space and feed the ball through to those running beyond his position.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehman believes Ozil needs to do more for the club, reported the Sun (h/t Harris): "Everyone knows he can be a fantastic player. But you need to be a fantastic player in the big games," said Lehmann. "You don't need to be a fantastic player in the small games and mediocre player for the big games."

In March, B/R UK's James McNicholas discussed how Arsenal could spend money from Ozil's potential sale:

Sami Mokbel of the MailOnline believes Ozil will be pushed centrally to maximise his quality next season. He netted four and assisted five in 22 Premier League appearances during 2014-15, per WhoScored.com. However, Ozil missed a fair chunk of the campaign through injury. Despite some fantastic performances over the last two years, there's the sense Ozil is yet to truly deliver when it matters for Arsenal.

Wenger will know this and is unlikely to sanction his transfer away. Ozil is still only 26, and with two seasons in England now under his belt, can be expected to hit a stretch of form next season.

Arsenal must hold onto their world-class talents if they're to launch a genuine title challenge and will fall back into the trap of supplying European rivals if Ozil or someone of his calibre is sold.