Arsene Wenger: Mesut Ozil May Have Been in 'Comfort Zone' Since New Arsenal Deal

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the club's current midfielder, Mesut Ozil, may have slipped into a "comfort zone" after signing a lucrative contract.

The Gunners were seemingly given a boost in February 2018 when the German extended his stay at the Emirates Stadium. Prior to Ozil signing a new deal, his future had been subject to much speculation, as his contract was poised to expire at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Since then, Ozil has found form tough to come by, and under Wenger's successor, Unai Emery, the playmaker has slipped a long way down the pecking order.

Speaking about his former player at the Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday, Wenger said Ozil may have gotten too comfortable at Arsenal, per the Press Association (h/t The Guardian):

"I feel that the length of the contract has nothing to do normally with the selection of the team. But sometimes there are special cases. Most of the time now we think when we sign a player for five years we have a good player for five years. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they practise, they play their best. Because they might be in their comfort zone."

Wenger went on to say Arsenal would need to spend in the region of £100 million if they wanted to bring a player of Ozil's class to the club. "So the decision you have to make is whether you re-sign the player, who costs us nothing, or do we have the money to buy a new player?" continued the Frenchman.

The iconic coach was at the Laureus ceremony to pick up a lifetime achievement award:

As noted by BT Sport Football, although Ozil has been out of the side more frequently of late, him missing matches since joining Arsenal is nothing new:

According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, the 30-year-old is reluctant to leave the Emirates Stadium, where he is earning a whopping weekly salary of £350,000. In the report, it's added Ozil turned down the chance to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan in January.

Despite the speculation, the player has taken to Twitter recently, making it clear he remains loyal to the Gunners:

Given Emery clearly has some concerns regarding the player—Ozil has started just once for Arsenal since Boxing Day—at the moment the extraordinary wage being picked up by the midfielder is a drain on the club.

When he's in the team, Ozil can add another dimension to Arsenal's play. He will never be someone who operates with a fire in his belly, although his technical ability and creative edge are unmatched in the Premier League when he's at full tilt.

Having brought Ozil to the club in 2013 and spent five seasons working with him, Wenger knows the midfielder well. With that in mind, comments suggesting he's fallen into a lull since his money-spinning extension was signed will leave some Arsenal supporters feeling a little unnerved.