Report: Juventus 'Immediately Declined' Chance to Hold Mesut Ozil Transfer Talks

Juventus reportedly turned down the chance to negotiate with Arsenal over midfielder Mesut Ozil. 

The former Germany international has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium this season under manager Unai Emery, and Ozil is "saddened" by his situation at Arsenal, according to Calciomercato (h/t Naveen Ullal of Sport Witness).

It's also noted some of the player's representatives reached out to Juventus to discuss a possible future transfer, but the Italian champions weren't keen on talks. The Bianconeri's sporting director Fabio Paratici is said to have "immediately declined" the chance to speak with Ozil about a move.

Ullal noted rumours regarding Ozil are beginning to intensify ahead of the January window. Although the 30-year-old signed a new long-term contract with the Gunners earlier in the year, he's now seemingly a dispensable part of the setup.

Emery's Arsenal have been focused around cohesion and intensity, traits that have given the quality footballers in the XI opportunities to show their class. While Ozil has cerebral and technical gifts, it does appear as though the manager has some concerns regarding the other aspects.

It's difficult to argue with the coach's judgement at the moment, as Arsenal continue to string together positive results: 

A back problem ruled Ozil out of dramatic recent 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur and it'll be intriguing to see if the German can force his way back into contention when he's fully fit again.

The way in which Emery sets the team up does cater for attacking midfielders. While the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Henrikh Mkhitaryan can be effective in those roles, none are as naturally creative as Ozil.

Undoubtedly there are matches when the former Real Madrid man can be of use to the team. James Benge of the Evening Standard thought Ozil would have made a difference in the recent 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town: 

However, having signed his contract extension Ozil would have surely expected to be at the centre of this Arsenal side as they begin a new era. Instead, the regular absences, the time on the bench and the improvement in the team of late have seemingly pushed Ozil closer to an exit.

Juventus are blessed with so many gifted attacking players and are strong in midfield, meaning reports that they aren't interested in Ozil are understandable.

If the player does want to move on a transfer wouldn't be straightforward. Arsenal would surely demand a significant fee for a footballer tied down until the summer of 2021; in addition, according to Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph, Ozil's weekly salary is a staggering £350,000.