Arsenal: Ozil contract boost; Cech targets title; German youngster open to return

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Mesut Ozil has insisted that he is happy in London and enjoying life, which will give Arsenal a huge boost as they attempt to renew his contract before the end of the season. The German is entering the last 18-months of his current contract and wants assurances over the future of Arsene Wenger before committing to a new deal, but these latest quotes suggest that he will be happy to remain at the club.

“I’ve simply arrived in the Premier League since last season,”

“I’ve remained injury-free for the most part and I feel very comfortable in London now as well.”

This is great news for Arsenal as he does make them a much better side, that was evident from the weekend as they returned to winning ways with him in the starting eleven. He is a unique player, capable of picking passes that few others would see and it would be a huge blow to lose him. It does seem that he is happy at the club, enjoying his football and life in general, which suggests that he won’t be openly looking to leave the club. If the German extends his contract, then that could have positive ramifications for Alexis Sanchez’s future as well.

Although many feel Arsenal have little chance of finishing the season as Premier League champions, goalkeeper Petr Cech feels there is still plenty to play for and that leaders Chelsea could crack under the pressure of being hunted by so many sides. The goalkeeper believes that Arsenal’s title challenge is back on the right track now and he is one of the few in the squad that knows what it takes to win a Premier League title, with four triumphs to his name. He is now determined to stop his former side from finishing top of the league.

“We need to win these games as you can’t let them have the advantage of making the gap bigger.

“If everyone gets points Chelsea feels the pressure from behind. This is ­probably the better scenario for those of us who are chasing.”

He is correct that Chelsea will be feeling the pressure of being hunted as the emphasis is always on them to win every weekend. However, they do seem to be dealing with it well and have already created a big points advantage over the chasing pack. It is great to see the ambition from Cech, but Arsenal’s primary aim should be a top four finish, rather than winning the title.

A surprising transfer story to emerge on Monday morning is that Serge Gnabry has opened the door on a return to the Emirates Stadium. The German has been in great form for Werder Bremen since leaving Arsenal and has earned a place in the national squad in the process, with ten goals in 16 appearances. However, he has hinted that he would be interested in a return to England at some point in the near future.

‘As of today, I do not intend to change in the summer. But what happens in the future depends on my performance.

‘What if Chelsea or Arsenal come knocking? Well, at the moment I’m trying to give everything to Werder.’

It is interesting that Arsenal remain in his thoughts and it does seem that he enjoyed living in London, but it would take a huge reversal from Arsene Wenger to go in for his former player. Gnabry is now worth a lot more than the fee Arsenal received and it is unlikely that the Frenchman would pay that considering it would show he made an initial mistake. However, it is positive to see that Arsenal haven’t burned their bridges with the exciting young attacker and a return is possible at some point during the future.

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