Mesut Ozil’s decision to reject Arsenal’s pay cut is fair, his prerogative and his right – John Cross

Of course, there are two sides to each story.

In this case, there are actually around 27 when it comes to the debate over Arsenal’s pay cuts. That is the number of players they needed to register.

And the focus has been on Mesut Ozil as the club’s biggest source of income that has refused to accept a 12.5 percent pay cut.

Of course, we must emphasize that Arsenal will win the money if Arsenal qualifies for this season’s Champions League, if they get there next season and players will also receive a £ 100,000 bonus for getting there.

But for all intents and purposes, it’s still a cut and a cut for the next 12 months that, when we started this path in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, it was not supposed to be on the table.

The Professional Footballers Association urged players not to accept cuts, only postponements, and when Arsenal first presented the proposal to players, it was rejected.

It has been a slow process that forced many players to say no to accept the cuts after they were informed of the huge financial impact on the club.

You should note that Arsenal’s last salary bill was over £ 230 million, that is, almost £ 5 million a month in fixed costs with no income. And for Arsenal, the receipts are huge. Also, they may still have to pay cash back from the TV. The clubs are feeling the pinch.

They reached out to the players to help them save £ 25 million, and almost all of them finally made it. All but three. And Ozil is the lot’s biggest name and biggest source of income.

But Ozil said no, for now. He has made it clear that he may change his mind in the future, once the full impact is known, but believes that deferrals should be the way to go right now.

In fact, I think it’s fair enough, his prerogative and his right and, after all, this was a voluntary cut through an amendment to the contract that players may or may not accept.

It’s not just him either. Until the last days, some players were reluctant. But some changed their minds late, probably after Mikel Arteta held a video conference and a series of other conversations with the group to emphasize the impact.

Should a manager get involved in pay cuts these days? That’s a hard question. But he himself has made a cut, so it seems fair enough. But will it put pressure on players who are concerned about their place? It is a fair question and a great dilemma.

But finally, the players listened. Arteta was passionate, explained it, and also made it clear that owner Stan Kroenke has played his financial role, while the club’s 14 executive committee members have seen a big reduction of more than 30 percent.

Three players have still declined and if people know who the rest are I am sure their names will come out. But again, it is your choice.

And actually the opposite argument is quite compelling, and it’s the original point. If the entire team signs up, they save the club £ 25m. If the entire squad had said no, even basic math tells you that £ 12.5 million of that amount is paid in taxes, back to the Government and, hopefully, to the NHS.

That’s £ 25m for the club or £ 12.5m for the NHS. The Arsenal team has done a great thing, has been very understanding and that must be respected.

Meanwhile, Ozil also does a lot for charity, it’s not like he’s a player who isn’t willing to do his part. Give generously both at home and abroad. He’s £ 350,000 a week, but he’s always been an incredibly generous individual.

As far as I know, there are no hard feelings. There may be some surprises, but Ozil respects his teammates and his decision, and wants them to do the same for him.

His agent, Dr. Erkut Sogut, in an interview on the Steilcast podcast that launched on Monday, actually explained the debate. He spoke in general, but anyone can see that the point is clear, and everything fits with Arsenal.

Sogut said: “It is not enough for a club to submit a proposal to a member of the first team team and then ask them to go to the rest of the team and obtain their consent to do so. This is not how individual contract negotiations should be conducted.

“A club may even ask the manager of a first team to negotiate with the players and this may influence some, especially the younger players or the periphery who fear that there may be personal repercussions for him if he does not agree.

“In those circumstances, it could be questionable that any player consent would be legally binding anyway, as some players are not in a position to give true consent if they are under pressure to do so.”

I have always been a fan of Ozil. He’s had some horrible games, many brighter ones, and while I’ve been critical in the past, I think the praise far outweighs the criticism. He is an amazing talent and the type of player I love to see.

Yes, he divides opinion. But he’s a World Cup winner, let’s not forget that it was the pressure from the fans that really made Arsenal re-sign him on this mega contract. There would have been a revolt if Arsenal had let him go for free just a few months after selling Alexis Sánchez to Manchester United.

Fans were desperate for him to stay. Unai Emery wanted him out. Ozil was ostracized and yet he has played brilliantly again under Arteta. This should not be blurred or forgotten in the midst of all this.

Let’s also not forget that very few clubs have agreed to leave or pay cuts. Players have resisted across the country. West Ham and Southampton have announced it, now Arsenal. Watford too. Chelsea looks ready to go and Sheffield United.

But that is not overwhelming. Some clubs will not do it at all. But other clubs have found players resisting. Just as Ozil has.