Mesut Ozil has reportedly agreed a new contract to stay at the Gunners and will be handed the No.10 shirt as part of his new deal.
The Germany international is out of contract in 2018 but manager Arsene Wenger has already confessed he is keen for Ozil, who joined the club from Real Madrid in 2013, to stay at the Emirates and was focused on on having new deal agreed.
Wenger now appears to have been granted his wish with Henning Feindt of Sport Bild reporting that Ozil has agreed a massive new deal and will be handed the No. 10 shirt.
Mesut Özil bekommt bei Arsenal einen neuen Mega-Vertrag! Er fordert u.a. die Rückennummer 10 statt 11. Alle Hintergründe morgen @SPORTBILD pic.twitter.com/SbdAS7gLzb
— Henning Feindt (@Karlo_Kolumna) September 27, 2016
Ozil, of course, currently wears No.11 with the No.10 shirt belonging to Jack Wilshere, who is on a season-long loan with Bournemouth. Quite how Wilshere will feel about Ozil taking his shirt, and what it says about his future at the club remains to be seen, but you would guess he would not be particularly impressed with the development.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will be delighted to retain the services of Ozil who already has two goals to his name this season, a rare header against Watford and a superb goal to round off the stunning 3-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday.
The Gunners will also be hoping that they can also get Alexis Sanchez to follow in Ozil’s footsteps and commit his future to the club. Like Ozil, the Chilean’s contract also expires in 2018 with Arsenal desperate to keep their talisman who has once again been in inspirational form this season.
Keeping both players would send a huge signal to the footballing world about the club’s ambitions while almost certainly helping to attract further top talent to the Emirates. It would also undoubtedly be a boost to the dressing room, with Santi Cazorla revealing how highly he rates Ozil by naming the German in his all-time greatest Arsenal XI – the only player in the current XI to make it into his squad.