Monday 9 January 2017 10:21, UK
Mesut Ozil maintains he is willing to sign a contract extension at Arsenal but wants clarity on Arsene Wenger’s future first.
Both Ozil and team-mate Alexis Sanchez have 18 months remaining on their existing contracts but are stalling on signing new terms.
Wenger is keen to tie his key attacking duo down to long-term deal deals and is adamant neither player will be sold, even if they fail to agree extensions.
It was reported last month that both Ozil and Sanchez are seeking parity with the Premier League's top earners before putting pen to paper on new contracts.
Ozil, who joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in 2013, says he is ready to commit to Arsenal if the club are willing to satisfy his demands.
"I am very, very happy at Arsenal and have let the club know that I would be ready to sign a new contract," Ozil said, in an interview with German magazine Kicker. "The fans want that I stay and now it is just down to the club."
One stumbling block in the negotiations between Ozil and the club appears to be the uncertainty surrounding Wenger's future at the Emirates Stadium.
The 67-year-old Frenchman's contract expires at the end of the season and he has indicated he will not decide his future until then.
Wenger insisted last month his stance would not disrupt Arsenal's long-term plans but Ozil wants the situation clarified before he commits.
Ozil said: "The club knows that I am here most of all because of Arsene Wenger. He is the one who signed me and he is the one whose trust I have. The club also knows that I want to be clear what the manager is going to [do in the future]."
The reluctance of Ozil and Sanchez to sign new deals at Arsenal has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks and months, with club legend Thierry Henry accusing them of "holding the club hostage" with their wage demands.
But Ozil insists Henry does not know the full story.
"Everyone has a right to say what they want but what they have to say doesn't interest me," the 28-year-old Germany international said. "Ex-players or other people who have a view don't know what is actually being said between me and the club."
