Meust Ozil’s new deal has left the midfielder in ‘comfort zone’

Mesut Ozil’s £350,000-a-week contract has seen the playmaker become complacent.

That’s according to Arsene Wenger who suggests the midfielder is in a ‘comfort zone’ at Arsenal.

Ozil penned his new three-and-a-half year deal 12 months ago, committing his future to Arsenal until 2021 with Wenger still at the helm.

But the playmaker has fallen out of favour under the Frenchman’s successor, Unai Emery, having started only one game since Boxing Day to bring renewed scrutiny as to whether he will remain at the Emirates Stadium.

The 30 year-old continues to remain on the fringes of the Arsenal squad, despite being the club’s highest paid player.

Arsene Wenger says Ozil is in a ‘comfort zone’ at Arseanl

Speaking after being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards, Wenger said: “I feel that the length of the contract has nothing to do normally with the selection of the team. But sometimes there are special cases. Most of the time now we think when we sign a player for five years we have a good player for five years. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they practise, they play their best. Because they might be in their comfort zone.

“He has a contract but the problem is that, if you want to buy a player like him, you have to spend £100m. And to maintain the value of the player, beyond the Özil case, it is more about the way football is structured.

“To buy players of top, top quality you need £100m. So the decision you have to make is whether you re-sign the player, who costs us nothing, or do we have the money to buy a new player?”