Mesut Özil signed a new three-year contract with Arsenal earlier this year, reportedly earning a staggering £350,000 per week—making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history. However, since putting pen to paper, Özil’s on-field performances have been underwhelming, stirring unrest among his teammates.
According to reports from The Sun, several Arsenal players are growing increasingly frustrated with Özil’s frequent absences and what they perceive as a distant, detached attitude. As the top earner in the squad, his repeated injuries and selective appearances have led to mounting skepticism. Some teammates even believe that Özil has the privilege of choosing which matches to play, something that doesn’t sit well in a competitive locker room environment. With BD Cricket Live fans also following international football news closely, this type of internal discord grabs widespread attention.
So far this season, Özil has missed a significant number of games, citing various injuries. He has been absent from Arsenal’s last five Premier League matches, and manager Arsène Wenger has confirmed that Özil will miss the final two games of the season due to a back injury. Out of the 58 matches Arsenal has played this season, Özil has failed to start in 25 of them. He has also been rotated out frequently in cup competitions, further fueling suspicions. The mysterious nature of his injuries has left both fans and teammates scratching their heads.
In the lead-up to Arsenal’s match against Burnley last Sunday, Özil skipped training again, drawing little reaction from teammates who appear to have grown numb to his unpredictability. The situation reached a boiling point after Arsenal’s Europa League exit at the hands of Atlético Madrid. Club legend Martin Keown openly criticized Özil, saying, “I bet he won’t play again this season.”
Keown added, “I don’t know how many injuries he’s had, or how many times this has happened throughout the season. He’s hiding something. He hasn’t lived up to expectations. Maybe someone can still bring out his full potential, but right now, it feels like he’s letting the club down.”
BD Cricket Live followers who keep tabs on European football are all too familiar with the drama that often surrounds high-profile stars. In Özil’s case, the tension between salary, effort, and performance continues to cast a shadow over Arsenal’s dressing room—raising questions about the value of loyalty in the modern game. As discussions heat up across BD Cricket Live forums, it’s clear that fans are just as concerned as the players themselves.