Wenger discussed Ozil’s contract situation with more frankness than ever before on Saturday evening, after Ozil scored a brilliant volley in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Swansea City. “I don’t think he needs convincing, he wants to stay here,” said Wenger, before a telling throwaway comment. “If you have a good bank, call me.”
Wenger would not go into details about the differences between the camps. “We keep that discreet,” he said, “at due time we will come out with that.” But when Wenger had the opportunity to say that he was confident Ozil would sign, he demurred. And he was reluctant to underline how important keeping Ozil was, unless he strengthened the player’s camp in negotiations.
“Tonight it’s not my main worry,” Wenger said. “We want to keep our best players, of course. The more I say that, the more he is in a stronger position.”
Wenger did say, for what it is worth, that money was not the thing holding Ozil back from committing his future to Arsenal. This is Ozil’s fourth season at Arsenal and he has not yet been part of a genuine title challenge. Wenger said that a strong push for this year’s title would help to convince Ozil that he is in the right place.
“It’s not just money,” Wenger said. “Arsenal can win titles of course. But that’s what we have to show. We are in a league where Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea everybody fights and you cannot guarantee that to anybody.”