Mesut Ozil Says He Is Singled Out by Arsenal Critics Amid Latest Exit Rumours

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has hit out at his critics, saying he's unfairly singled out when things go wrong for the Gunners due to his status as a World Cup winner and former Real Madrid player.

Per Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, the 28-year-old's agent made similar comments last month, as Ozil said: "People know what I have achieved. That I am a World Cup winner, played for Real Madrid, set up 20 goals last season [in all competitions]. When the team's on a bad run, somebody needs to be singled out, sadly most of the time it's me."

According to the report, Ozil has yet to sign a new contract worth £280,000 per week amid rumours Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich want to bring him back to Germany.

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Per Lewis, Ozil opened the door to a transfer back to Germany: "I don't want to exclude that. Many family members—my mother especially—would welcome it if I were closer to home. I still have a year on my contract and I love running for this club. At the moment, everything is still open."

Ozil moved to north London from Madrid in 2013 and quickly became one of the team's most influential players, but with the Gunners consistently failing to challenge for the Premier League title, the playmaker has seen his fair share of critics.

The chief complaint has been a tendency to disappear in the big matches, per Lewis, as well as his lack of defensive effort. 

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The Germany international has missed a handful of matches of late due to injury, and the Gunners' issues only worsened without their main star. Per WhoScored.com, his assist numbers have dropped sharply this year, but he's still scoring at a fair rate.

His treatment by the fans and press could well play a big role when contract negotiations resume in the summer, with manager Arsene Wenger telling BeIN Sports (h/t The Guardian) there will be no more discussions this season.