Arsenal omitting Mesut Ozil could be perfect for Emile Smith Rowe

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Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil hasn’t been named in the club’s 25-man Premier League squad and that could work massively in the favour of young talent Emile Smith Rowe.

The former Germany international who won the World Cup with his country has been given the cold shoulder by Mikel Arteta since football restarted back in June.

Ozil is the highest-paid player at the Emirates Stadium on £350,000-a-week and his complete removal from the squad does perhaps come as a surprise.

As one door closes, another typically opens though and that could be evident in the case of young gem Smith Rowe.

The 20-year-old spent some time on loan at Huddersfield Town last season and Arteta fancied him enough to include him in his Europa League squad for the current campaign.

Smith Rowe has come through the ranks at the Emirates Stadium but is yet to feature for the first-team this season. With that in mind, it perhaps came as a surprise when Arteta chose not to loan him out again.

With Ozil out of the picture, the academy graduate might be the main beneficiary, especially as the season progresses with games in all competitions coming thick and fast.

Versatile

The beauty with Smith Rowe is that he can play as a No.10, in central midfield, or out on the flanks if called upon to do so.

Arsenal’s midfielders are pretty similar, especially Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny. Dani Ceballos typically provides the creativity but minus Ozil they do lose an element of flair from their attack.

Smith Rowe can provide a creative spark from nowhere and playing with a forward-thinking Arsenal could help his game really come alive.

Arteta has highlighted his willingness to showcase the club’s talented youngster and Ozil missing out could be a massive positive for Smith Rowe for the rest of the campaign.