Here is your Arsenal morning digest for Friday, August 14.
Ozil proves what his Arsenal role must be
Mesut Ozil has made it clear he has no plans to leave Arsenal early in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic.
The German finds himself firmly in the periphery when it comes to Mikel Arteta’s first team plans, especially when you considered he was given the go-ahead to head away on holiday while his team-mates fought it out in the FA Cup final.
In his interview, the World Cup winner expresses a sense of bewilderment at his exclusion during the final months of the season.
But with Arteta clearly laying down the law and making his players aware of the standards he expects, did the Arsenal head coach have a point?
James Benge has taken a closer look at Ozil’s comments.
New target could be Gunners’ own Kante
It’s set to be a big summer for Mikel Arteta as he gets the chance to mould his squad into the shape he desires.
The former midfielder has already brought about an improvement in performances, but there’s still plenty of work to do as he eyes up some new additions.
Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey has been one of the players hotly linked with a move to north London, with the midfielder believed to be Arteta’s top target.
But Roma’s Amadou Diawara could well prove to be a cheaper option in the defensive midfield role, and he could well prove to be Arsenal’s answer to N’Golo Kante.
Arteta’s solution to Arsenal identity crisis
Arsenal have suffered from somewhat of an identity crisis ever since Arsene Wenger left the club in 2018.
Unai Emery’s arrival saw the Spaniard insisting the Gunners would be ‘protagonists’ on the pitch, and dictate how their opponents behaved and act accordingly.
Instead, the Gunners became a reactionary side, with results and performances dipping until the inevitable happened, and Emery was sacked.
But since Arteta’s arrival in December, the former Gunners’ captain has gone a long way to restoring the club’s identity on the pitch.
