Mesut Ozil isn’t difficult to manage but he needs to be shown support, admits Arsene Wenger

When Mikel Arteta was appointed, many Arsenal fans believed that the Spaniard would be the right man to help get the best out of Mesut Ozil. But the German has struggled to make his way back into the team since the start of Project Restart and hasn’t made a single appearance for the club this season. Not only that, he hasn’t been registered in either the Premier League or the Europa League squad by the Gunners with him reportedly on his way out of the team.

Ozil has less than seven months left on his current contract and will be able to discuss a pre-contract move once the January transfer window opens. However, with Arsenal lacking a creative presence, the question is as to whether Arteta can re-integrate Ozil back into the squad and Arsene Wenger believes that can happen. He admitted that Ozil is not “difficult to manage” and just needs support to thrive. Wenger also added that Arsenal need to build their team around a creative presence, compensating for what they can’t do.

"He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun. He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive. They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best,” Wenger told ESPN’s Caught Offside podcast.

"You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same. The same intensity of work, the same defensive work or you find a compromise. You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies. That is what you have to think about."