Arsenal Legend Lauren Says 'Something Very Wrong' with Mesut Ozil Situation

Arsenal legend Lauren believes there's "something very wrong" with the club's highest-paid player, Mesut Ozil, and that he needs to start fulfilling his potential in north London. 

Top earner Ozil, 30, had a disappointing first season under manager Unai Emery, and Lauren told bwin the playmaker had a long way to go to restore his reputation at the club (h/t Goal's Chris Burton):

"Mesut Ozil will stay at Arsenal next season but he needs to start fulfilling his potential.

"Whether you are Arsenal, Real Madrid or Barcelona, you need your best players to perform on the big stage and Ozil failed to do that on multiple occasions last year.

"In the biggest games last season, the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the Europa League, Ozil was not relevant, so there is something very wrong there. Mesut Ozil has a lot of potential and no doubt [Unai] Emery will be working to bring that to the forefront this season."

Emery showed a willingness to leave out Ozil despite the fact that the German earns £300,000 per week at Arsenal, per the Mirror's Sam Few. After benching Ozil for a 2-1 win at Bournemouth in November, Emery said it was due to the opposition's "physicality and intensity."

Lauren, 42, joined Arsenal in 2000 and made 241 appearances for the club, playing a part in the 2003-04 Invincibles side that went undefeated en route to that season's Premier League title.

He isn't the only member of that Invincibles lineup to have voiced displeasure with Ozil's attitude. Ray Parlour also called on the playmaker to show more hunger to succeed with his team-mates, per ITV:

Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 and was a hit in his first few campaigns at the club, but performances have dwindled in the past couple of years.

He made nine goal contributions in the 2018-19 season, eight fewer than he managed the previous term. He managed 24 in 2016-17 and enjoyed arguably his finest Arsenal season in 2015-16, when he scored or assisted 28 times.

There's been a noticeable decline in productivity over the past few years, but journalist Charles Watts told Love Sport Radio in January the player wants to stay:

Turkish football writer Emre Sarigul recently rubbished rumours Ozil would be moving to the Super Lig and agreed an Arsenal stay is most likely this summer:

Finding a suitor willing to pay sufficiently for a 30-year-old on Ozil's wages would be difficult, especially if clubs agree with Lauren's comments that the player's character is preventing him from reaching his best.