Mesut Ozil Says He 'Definitely' Wants Arsenal Stay, Plans Future Talks

Mesut Ozil has said he would "definitely" like to stay put at Arsenal and is planning to hold talks with the club to hash out a new deal when the Gunners return from their pre-season tour of Australia.

Per MailOnline's Mike Keegan, he said: 

"It is definitely my preference to stay. It is such a great club and I have always said that I feel very good at Arsenal. Once everyone is back in London we will sit down and discuss about the future. 

"For now the most important thing is our pre-season and getting through the tour, training and getting fitness. When I'm back in London, we will sit down and discuss."

According to Keegan, the German wants £350,000 per week to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium beyond next summer.

Ozil's future will not be linked to that of Alexis Sanchez, who finds himself in a similar situation with one year left on his own deal. 

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He added: "I was on vacation and did not think about anyone else. I tried to clear my mind for myself. Obviously the player [Sanchez] has to think about his own future and that will be his own decision. It is something everyone has to respect."

The classy playmaker is one of Arsenal's most important players, and he notched 12 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season.

His supreme creativity and distribution in the final third is invaluable to breaking down opposition defences.

Ozil set a new record for chances created in a single game when he helped Arsenal beat Sunderland in May, per Squawka Football:

However, his detractors would question his ability to put in similarly dominant performances against the Premier League's elite.

ESPN FC's Tony Evans and BT Sport's Ian Darke are among them, despite acknowledging his considerable talent:

While Ozil could indeed stand to contribute more in Arsenal's most important games, he's still a cut above many of his team-mates, and he's certainly worth keeping if the Gunners can reach an agreement with him regarding a new deal.

It's difficult to see him earning the weekly figure he reportedly wants anywhere other than the Chinese Super League, but if he wants to stay and Arsenal are prepared to offer him a relatively lucrative wage, they should be able to tie him down.