What does the arrival of Mesut Özil mean for Arsenal?

Mesut Ozil

Arsenal fans all around the world are still celebrating the deadline day signing of Mesut Özil from Real Madrid for a club record fee of £42.5 million.

This transfer really marks a major turning point in the way Arsenal go about their business, traditionally known for their rigid spending of money. Not only did they break their transfer record, but also made Özil their highest paid player, granting him a wages of around 150,000 Euros per week.

There is no doubt that this signing will restore the faith that Arsenal fans once had in Arsene Wenger, and if things go well for this talented squad, one could see them lifting trophies again. Fingers crossed.

What does this transfer mean for Arsenal’s squad? Well, one thing is clear, Arsenal are spoilt for choice when it comes to options in the attacking midfield scheme of things, with the likes of Cazorla and Rosciky. The challenge that Wenger now faces is getting Özil involved in the starting team.

There is no doubt that the record transfer will not be sitting on the bench. For a while, Arsene is likely to go with Cazorla on the left (as he has done many times in the past), Özil attacking through the middle, Walcott on the right, and finally the pair of Wilshere and Ramsey set to take up defensive responsibilities, leaving Flamini and Rosciky on the bench.

This could well be a blessing because it is indeed a long season and Arsenal will need all their players to be fir in the fag end of the season.

With the immediate line up sorted, things will work out fine for the Gunners, but what happens when the likes of Podolski, Arteta, and Chamberlain return from injuries? How will the composition of the squad change? Or will it stay the same?

One thing for certain is that Arsenal will not be able to field youngsters as much as they used to, since the priority now is to play the best players out there. Chamberlain’s progress could be hindered, but knowing Arsene he will find a way.

One way to ease the pressure on midfield is to deploy Podolski as an out and out striker, much like when he used to play in Germany. He is more than capable of filling that role, especially since Giroud is not facing stiff competition for a starting place. The competition from Podolski could well take Giroud’s game to another level, and the benefits of that will be seen and felt by Arsenal.

The fact of the matter is Arsenal now have options, one injury to a key player will not lead to the downfall of the team. There is more depth.