Mesut Ozil has offered his fulsome praise to Arsene Wenger ahead of contract talks designed to guarantee the 27-year-old spends his remaining years at the top of the game at Arsenal.
The club will sit down with their record signing after Euro 2016 and are confident that Ozil, along with fellow star player Alexis Sanchez, will commit their future to the club.
Wenger’s long-term future at the Emirates constitutes another significant matter for Arsenal’s consideration, with the manager warning at the end of the season that he will not decide his future until the final months of his current contract, which expires in little over a year’s time.
Ozil has suggested that he would be keen for Wenger to remain beyond that time and offered a reminder as to why he had chosen Arsenal over other suitors when he left Real Madrid in 2013.
Mesut Ozil's best performances for Arsenal
“At Arsenal, Arsène Wenger has shown that he is one of the best managers in history,” Ozil told France Football. “He has revolutionised the club and created magnificent success. I am proud and aware of the luxury I have of working for such a coach.
“His simple discourse immediately seduced me when I was asking questions about my future in the summer of 2013. He chose the perfect words to convince me. The great strength that Wenger has is he knows how to talk to his players.”
In his third season at Arsenal Ozil proved those who doubted whether he had been worth £42.4million emphatically wrong, enjoying a record-breaking season in which he topped the league in assists and chances created.
His impressive displays came amid key team-mates struggling with injuries (Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere) and disappointing form (Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott), with Ozil carrying the creative load for much of the winter months.
Ozil was rewarded with a nomination for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, making this a special season indeed for the German international.
He added: “On the pitch, I am always enjoying myself. I am lucky to play in the best league in the world and to be a certain starter at one of the best English clubs.
“In the Premier League, my enjoyment is very high. As long as I am in perfect physical condition.”
