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ARSENE WENGER has told Mikel Arteta how he handled ‘artist’ Mesut Ozil at Arsenal.
The German outcast hasn’t played a single minute for the Gunners this season and his iconic former coach revealed how he brought out the best in him.
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Ozil, 32, was fired from Arteta’s Premier League and Europa League teams this season and is now likely to leave in January.
And with his Emirates career seemingly over, Wenger, who signed Ozil to Arsenal in 2013 for £ 42m, has explained what makes the former German international tick.
He told the ESPN Caught Offside podcast: “It wasn’t hard to handle.
“He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun.
“He’s an artist and these guys are a little more sensitive.
“They need support and an environment that encourages them to do their best.”
Former gunner Paul Merson believes his old team can afford to call Ozil in January, now that Thomas Partey adds defensive stability in midfield.
And Wenger also revealed that balance is key to settling Ozil into a starting eleven.
The 71-year-old added: “There are two ways of looking at a soccer team.
“You get everyone to do the same, the same intensity of work, the same defensive work, or you find a compromise.
“You have a more creative player on the team who can do less defensive work, but you build a team around him that can make up for these shortcomings.”
“That’s what you have to think about.”
Former Real Madrid player Ozil is said to lean towards MLS’s DC United in order to run his business in the United States.
And he also had a heated exchange on Twitter with Piers Morgan after the host called him ‘Paul Pogba of Arsenal’.
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