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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport

Arsenal star Mesut Ozil breaks silence after West Ham squad axe

Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has vowed to keep putting in the work "no matter what" as speculation over his future mounts.

Reports on Monday claimed Unai Emery wants to get rid of Arsenal's highest-paid player to free up funds for transfers during the January window.

Ozil signed a new contract - running until 2021 - less than a year ago to up his wages to £350,000-a-week and smash the club's previous record salary for a player.

The World Cup winner was excluded from Arsenal's matchday squad which lost at West Ham for on Saturday for tactical reasons - Emery confirmed - despite being match fit.

Ozil tweeted on Monday: "No matter what... put in the work."

Earlier this season, Emery left Ozil on the bench against Bournemouth as the manager deemed his player unable to cope with "a very demanding match with physicality and intensity."

The first rumours of a rift between the two began just weeks into Emery's reign after Ozil missed the 3-1 win over West Ham in August, claims of an illness were queried amid reports of a training ground row.

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