Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman believes the Gunners desperately need a creative player and has questioned Mikel Arteta’s decision to sideline Mesut Ozil, speaking to the Target Men podcast via Goal.
Ozil has been persona non grata this campaign. Having fallen out of favour with Arteta, the Germany international has been left out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads.
The attacking midfielder initially thrived under the Spaniard, who took over in December last year. He started Arteta’s first ten league matches having played just seven times for previous boss Unai Emery last season.
However, once lock-down ended Ozil missed the concluding ten games of the season through a back injury and hasn’t had a sniff of the first team since.
Seaman: ‘Something’s gone on’
Arsenal currently sit 14th in the table on 13 points and are winless in their past three league matches. They have scored the lowest number of goals in the league apart from those strugglers in the bottom three.
Defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday condemned them to their worst start to a season since 1981.
Speaking on the Target Men podcast, Seaman insisted he was shocked at the club’s treatment of Ozil, especially while the team was struggling to score goals.
Seaman said: “I am surprised Arteta is choosing to leave out Mezut Ozil because he’s a player of quality.
“I feel something’s gone on personally between the two of them because to leave him out, and on the money he’s on, is a big statement. For me, it’s a bit of a waste because he’s still a quality player.”
‘Build your team around Ozil’
Seaman said the side was “crying out” for a creative spark and Ozil was the man to provide it.
He said: “When you look at the Arsenal team, we’re crying out for a player like that. So why don’t you build your team around Ozil rather than just leaving him out in the field and letting him go?”
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