Arsenal’s “frustrating” star may have just become their new Mesut Ozil

Arsenal made sure their draw with Fulham on Sunday afternoon was not the start of a poor run with a comfortable win over AS Monaco in the Champions League last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side weren’t at their very best, but a clinical showing from Bukayo Saka and some professional performances from much of the team saw them pick up all three points and all but guarantee their progress to the next round.

However, while most of the Gunners’ team could pat themselves on the back for a job well done, a few flattered to deceive.

In fact, one of the players was so poor and has been for some time now that he could be turning into another Mesut Ozil-esque situation for the manager.

Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal career

When it comes to memorable Arsenal transfers over the years, there are few, if any, that top Ozil’s move to the Emirates on deadline day 2013.

The German international joined the club from Spanish giants Real Madrid for a club record £42.4m and immediately hit the ground running, providing an assist for Olivier Giroud in his first game away to Sunderland.

Over the next few seasons, the “fantastic” sensation, as dubbed by Ian Wright, proved to be worth every penny as he wowed fans and rivals alike with his mercurial ability to find practically anyone anywhere on the pitch with a single sublime pass.

The former Schalke gem racked up a brilliant tally of 44 goals and 75 assists in 254 appearances for the club and played a significant role in three of the four FA Cup triumphs while he was in North London, but things did not end well.

After he signed a mammoth £350k-per-week contract in early 2018, his performances began to drop, and by the time Arteta was appointed manager in December 2019, it was clear that his lack of intensity and effort off the ball meant he had no future in N5.

However, due to his rapid decline and lofty wages, it was a nightmare to move him on, and the club eventually had to cancel his contract entirely so that he could move to Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.

In all, while Ozil was an arguably world-class talent for much of his Arsenal career, his form fell off a cliff in the later years, and he became an incredibly expensive burden, which could be happening to a player in the squad today.

The Arsenal player who could be Arteta’s new Ozil

So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is the incredibly gifted Gabriel Jesus, and there are two key reasons why.

The first is that, like Ozil, the former Manchester City star hit the ground running following his £45m transfer in the 22/23 season, racking up an impressive tally of five goals and providing five assists in 16 league games prior to the World Cup break, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.6 games.

However, the Brazilian international suffered a severe knee injury in Qatar and had to undergo surgery, which kept him out of action until mid-March, after which he looked notably less nimble and generally less of a threat.

Last season wasn’t dreadful for the Sao Paulo-born forward, but eight goals and eight assists in 36 appearances was not enough to stop Kai Havertz from taking his place as the team’s starting number nine, and based on his performances this season, it doesn’t look like he’s ever going to get it back.

In 19 appearances, the “frustrating” striker, as dubbed by Micah Richards, has scored one goal and provided two assists.

Moreover, last night perfectly encapsulates why he’s becoming an issue for the manager.

While he provided the assist for Saka’s opener, the 27-year-old was also incredibly wasteful in front of goal, missing two big chances and taking just 23 touches, which more than justified the 5/10 match rating he received from journalist Kaya Kaynak.

So, like the German superstar, Jesus has gone from an essential member of the first team to someone unable to meaningfully contribute at all, and on top of that, he also costs the club a fortune, thanks to the enormous £265k-per-week contract he agreed to in 2022.

Lastly, it also seems like it will be a serious challenge to move the former City ace on in 2025, as his wages, injury history, and dreadful form do not make him a desirable proposition to the sort of clubs he’d be happy to join.

Ultimately, Jesus is an undeniably talented footballer, but like Ozil before him, he’s hit the end of the road at Arsenal, and at this point, it looks like the best option for all parties would be to move him on – if that is even possible.