Unai Emery 'Demands' Arsenal Sell Mesut Ozil This Summer With £24m Contract Buy-Out Touted
By Tom Gott
Arsenal manager Unai Emery is said to be desperate for the Gunners to part ways with Mesut Ozil this summer, regardless of what it may cost them.
Ozil's future under Emery has been the subject of much debate since the start of last season, and his bitterly disappointing performance in the Europa League final defeat against Chelsea has left many fans calling for the German to be sold.
According to the Daily Star, Emery agrees with them, as he will demand that the club get rid of Ozil this summer when he meets club officials to discuss their transfer strategy for the upcoming summer window.
Ozil failed to impress against Chelsea, and was visibly unimpressed with Emery's decision to substitute him in the second half of the game, and the manager is said to be furious that the club's top earner would act in such a way.
The 30-year-old earns £270,000-a-week at the Emirates Stadium, where he is under contract until the summer of 2021. However, with transfer funds hard to come by, freeing up money by cutting ties with Ozil is thought to be high on Emery's wish list.
The problem is, having watched his uninspiring performances this season, few clubs are seriously interested in signing Ozil this summer, especially given the finances of the deal.
Arsenal may be forced to agree to a free transfer, or even pay a portion of his wages to send him away on loan. The final option, which Emery is said to be prepared to act on, is to pay Ozil £24m to buy him out of his contract.
The Gunners are thought to only have around £45m to spend this summer, but Emery is ready to use more than half of that to cut ties with the problematic German, whose presence in recent weeks is described as "toxic" by the Daily Star.
Both Inter and Juventus have been linked with a move from Ozil, as they are two sides who would be able to match his massive salary demands. However, with offers yet to arrive, Emery may be forced to take drastic measures.