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It is being reported that Mesut Ozil will not be leaving Arsenal before the end of the summer transfer window. Whilst he may not be the player he once was, it would be silly for the Gunners to let him leave at this point.

What's the story?

The former Germany international is yet to feature this campaign. Initially, he was stopped from playing for security reasons after an incident on June 25th, but he was available for this past weekend's match against Liverpool at Anfield, yet he was not even selected in the squad.

As such, there had been an indication that his Gunners future was in the balance. However, the 30-year-old's agent Dr Erkut Sogut has revealed to Turkish-Football that he will be staying at the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Check out fan reaction to Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal in the video below...

Positive news, but sell next summer

It is fair to say that Ozil is not the player he once was. Last season's record of just two assists and an average WhoScored rating of 6.74 in the Premier League is not what you would expect from a man who was once the club's record signing.

However, it wasn't always like that. In the 2015/16 season, he created a staggering 19 goals for his teammates and averaged a huge 7.66. That just goes to show that he has those kind of big performances in his locker.

Looking at Unai Emery's squad, there is a lack of creative players in midfield. Other than Ozil, only Dani Ceballos can be described as somewhat of a playmaker. Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi are all better known for their industriousness.

The on-loan Real Madrid man's starting debut against Burnley, in which he provided both goals in a 2-1 victory, indicates that he is best placed to take up a playmaking role at the moment, but there will be times when he is either not fit or having an off day.In these situations, the former Schalke man would be the ready-made replacement, especially against defensive teams that need unlocking.

Ceballos will likely be returning to Spain next summer, and Ozil will be 31 by then as well. That would be the perfect time to let him go and bring in a long-term successor. For now though, they would be naive to let him leave, which is why this report is good news for the Gunners.

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