Arsenal offer Mesut Ozil to Juventus - Reports
Arsenal have reportedly contacted Juventus about the availability of Mesut Ozil and a transfer could be made in January. The 32-year-old is currently the highest-paid player at Arsenal but he has been left off the squads for both the Premier League and Europa League.
According to TuttoSport, Juventus are currently monitoring the market ahead of the winter transfer window and although signing a striker is of utmost priority, the Italian champions have been offered Mesut Ozil.
The report suggests that Arsenal are willing to let the World Cup winner leave for free, while they would also subsidize some part of his wages for the next six months.
On his day, the former Germany international is a prime playmaker with pristine vision and passing, but he has been beneath his best for the last few years, while his lack of competitive action for almost a year diminishes his current value.
Ozil had been reluctant to leave the Emirates in the past and could potentially not play competitive football for another six months if he remains in north London. This is a far from ideal situation considering his hefty wages and this is why Arsenal are desperate to find buyers for him before the summer.
If signed, he would represent a deviation from their recent transfer model by Juventus, with the Turin giants preferring to focus on younger players with huge potential.
Arsenal and Juventus have different ambitions this season
Arsenal have endured one of the worst starts to a season in their history and they entered the Christmas period with just one win from their previous 10 Premier League fixtures.
However, they showed great determination to defeat Chelsea 3-1 with a relatively young squad, and fans of the Gunners would hope this result can serve as a watershed moment in their campaign.
Juventus, for their part, have also flattered to deceive and fell to a first Serie A defeat of the season in an embarrassing 3-0 loss at home to Fiorentina. They also saw their initial victory by forfeit against Napoli rescinded, meaning the Turin giants would have to replay the fixture in what would be a congested January schedule.