Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, has warned Arsenal star player Mesut Ozil that he will live to 'regret wasted years' after the 31 year old midfielder announced last week he will see out the last one year of his lucrative £350,000 per week salary at Arsenal despite not having regular game time.
Last week in a wide
ranging interview, Ozil revealed that he will run down a lucrative deal with
the Gunners and become a free agent during the summer of 2021 instead of
seeking a new challenge outside north London.
But Smith has urged
Ozil to reconsider his stance.
Alan speaking to Sky
Sports said: “As for Mesut Ozil, the tiresome saga rolls on. In an interview
this week, the German insisted he is staying at Arsenal, even though he
obviously does not feature in [Mikel] Arteta's plans.
"This is a
funny one. Ozil is well within his rights to see out a four-year contract the
club were happy enough to give, but from a purely football aspect, why would
you do that if you are not going to play?
“‘This is my
profession’, he says. ‘It's what I love doing: being on the pitch, playing
matches, showing the people, helping the club and my team’. Ok, so if you love
playing so much, why not go somewhere you're actually wanted?
“There's an old
saying in football - you are a long time retired. Come the end of his career,
he might live to regret these wasted years.”
Smith also had his
say on Willian's impending move from Chelsea to Arsenal as a free agent.
“Willian's free
transfer from Chelsea looks like the first step, which surprised me at first
given the Brazilian's age. Just turned 32 with lots of miles on the clock,
Stamford Bridge has surely seen his best days.
“So was this just a
convenient move because he has the right agent? Something foisted upon Arteta
by Raul Sanllehi, the head of football? Or does Arteta see something in Willian
that can improve the team straight away?
“One thing is for
sure, as a right-sided attacker, his arrival asks immediate questions of
Nicolas Pepe, signed at exorbitant cost this time last year.
“The Ivory Coast winger has blown hot and cold so far, which is not a great quality in Arteta's book. Undoubtedly talented, Pepe has got to kick on if he's going to survive because, in the short term at least, Willian can provide great know-how and quality on that right side.”
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